A    WIFE    OUT    OF    EGYPT 


A   WIFE  OUT  OF 
EGYPT 


BY 

NORMA    LORIMER 

Author  of  "By  the  Waters  of  Germany,"  "By  the  Waters  of 
Sicily,"  "The  Second  Woman,"  "On  Desert  Altars,"  "There 
was  a  King  in  Egypt,"  "Josiah's  Wife,"  "  With  other  Eyes,"  etc. 


TWENTIETH    EDITION 


NEW   YORK 
BRENTANO'S 


firtt  Published 

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.       July  1913 

July  1913 

September  1913 

A'ot>efn68r  1913 

Aftwch  1914 

.      June  1914 

September  1914 

January  1915 

January  1915 

.       .Maj/  1915 

.       Jwlt/  1915 

December  1915 

Decemb'  r  1915 

.     jtpril  1916 

September  1916 

October  1917 

Auguit  1918 

January  1920 

August  1920 

October  19*J 


Printed  in  Oreat  Britain  by 
Miller,  Son  <*  Compy.,  Fakenliam  and  London. 


PEEFACE 


EGYPT,  like  Tunis,  is  still  inhabited  by  a  race,  neither 
numerous  nor  powerful  now,  which  has  seen  all  the  dynas- 
ties of  history  come  and  go.  The  Copts— an  Arab  way 
of  saying  Egyptians  :  Egypt  is  the  land  of  Gypts  or  Copts 
— are  the  descendants  of  the  men  who  hewed  wood  and 
drew  water  for  the  Pharaohs,  for  conquerors  like  Darius 
the  Persian,  the  Macedonian  Ptolemies,  the  Komans,  and 
the  Arabs,  and  are  the  intellectual  hewers  and  drawers 
of  modern  Egypt.  Like  the  Berbers  of  Tunis,  they  were 
mightily  oppressed  by  Roman  and  Byzantine  masters  for 
not  coming  into  the  orthodox  religion  ;  like  the  Berbers, 
they  thought  that  their  lot  could  not  be  worse  under  the 
Arab  conqueror,  and  stood  by  sullenly  while  their  masters 
were  conquered,  though  their  help  would  have  made  the 
Arab  conquest  impossible. 

The  Arabs  persecuted  them  in  their  turn,  to  make  them 
abandon  the  feeble  and  impure  stream  of  Christianity 
which  had  trickled  down  to  them  direct  from  St.  Mark 
the  Evangelist.  But  by  living  like  rats  in  holes,  the  Copts 
have  defeated  their  purpose,  and  remain  the  professors 
of  the  most  ancient  and  debased  form  of  Christianity, 
but  the  spiritual  descendants,  in  their  own  eyes,  of  the 
Church  of  Egypt,  immortal  as  the  offspring  of  St.  Mark, 
and  the  mother  of  Athanasius  and  Cyril  and  Origen. 

Until  the  Nationalist  movement  began  in  the  revolt  of 
Arabi  Pasha,  the  Copts  or  Egyptians  and  the  Arabs  kept 
distinct,  but  they  now  all  call  themselves  Egyptians,  to 
prosecute  the  claim  for  Egyptian  Independence,  which 
is  in  reality  a  Pan-Islamic  movement  into  which  the  Copts 
have  been  betrayed.  Girgis  Boutros,  who  is  one  of  the 
chief  characters  in  the  story,  a  very  wealthy  leader  of 
the  Copts,  has  been  entrapped  in  this  way,  owing  to  his 
hatred  of  the  English. 

Side  by  side  with  the  Copts  there  is  another  Arab-speak- 
ing Christian  community  in  Egypt,  a  much  fairer  and  hand- 
somer race,  who  might  often  be  taken  for  Europeans — 
the  Syrians.  Unlike  the  Copts,  who  rarely  rise  above  the 
position  of  clerks  and  book-keepers,  they  are  important 
in  the  mercantile  community  and  many  of  them  are  very 


PEEFACE 

wealthy ;  and,  unlike  the  Copts,  they  are  firm  supporters 
of  the  British  rule,  though  they  are  galled  by  the  unwilling- 
ness of  the  English  to  receive  them  on  terms  of  social 
equality. 

Hadasaah  Lekejian,  the  heroine,  and  her  father  and 
brother  are  typical  Syrians  of  Egypt. 

The  plot  of  this  book  deals  with  a  subject  which  previous 
writers  of  novels  about  Egypt  have  left  in  the  background 
— the  struggle  between  love  and  snobbery  in  the  breast  of 
a  British  officer,  who  has  fallen  in  love  with  the  beautiful 
Syrian  when  he  met  her,  without  realizing  what  her 
nationality  meant  in  England,  and,  as  he  meets  her  again 
in  Cairo  in  the  position  of  her  fiance',  discovers  that  she  is 
a  member  of  the  ostracized  race. 

This  ostracism  is  described  by  Miss  Lorimer  most  con- 
vincingly and  pitifully.  While  the  reader's  feelings  are 
stirred  by  the  beautiful  Hadassah's  struggle  between  love 
of  her  people  and  her  love  for  the  proud  Englishman  who 
insists  that  she  shall  give  her  people  up,  his  interest  is 
riveted  on  the  forces  which  are  working  in  Egypt — the 
revengeful  Copt's  hereditary  tendency  to  betray  his  fellow- 
Christians  to  Islam,  and  the  heartburnings  of  the  Arab- 
speaking  loyalists  of  Eygpt  at  their  social  exclusion  by 
the  rulers  they  serve  so  faithfully. 

Miss  Lorimer  has  long  been  a  student  of  both  Coptic 
and  Mohammedan  questions.  Her  knowledge  and  in- 
tuition with  regard  to  the  latter  was  amply  shown  in  her 
masterly  book  "  By  the  Waters  of  Carthage." 

I  have  no  hesitation  hi  pronouncing  this  a  far  finer  book, 
immeasurably  more  interesting  as  a  love  story,  and  full 
of  the  psychology  which  Miss  Lorimer  has  taught  us  to 
expect  in  her  books. 

In  "  A  Wife  out  of  Egypt,"  Miss  Lorimer  has  introduced 
to  fiction  a  singularly  beautiful  and  gifted  nation,  the 
Syrians,  brought  up  as  Europeans,  who  are  white  people 
in  everything  but  race. 

DOUGLAS  SLADEN. 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

CHAPTER  I 

A  TAXI-CAB  drew  up  sharply  at  No.  123,  Princes  Avenue, 
South  Kensington.  Out  of  it  jumped  a  slim  girl  in  rich 
furs  and  a  young  man  in  faultless  afternoon  dress. 

They  were  a  good-looking  couple,  and  more  than  one 
pair  of  eyes  looked  enviously  at  them  as  they  passed. 

The  girl  held  out  her  hand  to  say  good-bye. 

"  I  must  really  go,"  she  said  ;  "  and  please  don't  wait 
for  me." 

"  Why  mayn't  I  ?  " 

"  Because  I  should  feel  I  had  to  hurry." 

His  eyes  besought  her. 

The  girl  blushed  happily.  "  No,  it's  Miss  MacNaughtan, 
and  I  haven't  seen  her  for  almost  two  years." 

"  And  what  about  me  1  ...  In  a  week's  time  I 
won't  see  you  for  almost  a  year." 

"  I've  been  with  you  for  hours  and  hours  every  day  for 
the  last  month." 

"  You've  been  awfully  good,  but  I'm  jealous  of  every 
one  you  want  to  see  very  much.  ..."  He  laughed. 
"  I  am  a  duffer,  I  know." 

"  You're  the  nicest  thing  in  all  the  world,"  she  said, 
"  and  I  love  you  for  being  jealous." 

Her  lover  had  been  holding  her  hand  caressingly  in  his. 
He  felt  for  the  ring  on  her  third  ringer.  "  I  like  to  feel  it," 
he  said,  and  remember  it's  there,  as  a  token  you  are  mine. 
Sometimes  I  keep  saying  to  myself,  '  Stella's  mine,'  'Stella's 
mine,'  '  Stella's  mine  '  !  " 

"  Stella's  not  yours  yet,"  she  said  tauntingly,  but  with 
so  much  love  in  her  voice  that  he  did  not  mind. 

"  Why  can't  we  get  married  before  you  go  back  to 
Egypt  ?  You  could  return  with  your  parents,  and  1 
would  follow  later  on  :  no  one  need  know  but  ourselves." 

"  What  would  be  the  good  of  that,  dear  t  " 

"  To  make  sure  of  you." 

"  Don't  you  trust  me  ?  " 

"  Yes,  darling  ;  but  I'm  always  afraid  you'll  discover 
how  ordinary  I  am  compared  with  your  dear  self.  You 
may  meet  the  kind  of  fellow  you  imagine  I  am." 

"  And  throw  you  over  t  " 


2  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

She  drew  her  hand  «ut  of  his  : 

"  I  didn't  say  that." 

"  I  wonder  which  of  us  will  be  the  most  changed  when 
we  meet."  Her  finger  was  on  the  electric  bell  as  she  said 
the  challenging  word*» : 

"  I  won't  change,  Stella ;  no  jolly  fear.  Remember, 
I'm  coming  for  you  first  thing  in  the  morning :  you've 
got  to  take  me  with  you  wherever  you  go,  shopping  or  no 
shopping." 

She  blew  a  kiss  to  him  as  the  door  closed. 


CHAPTER  II 

Miss  MACNAUGHTAN  was  sitting  in  her  long  drawing-room 
awaiting  the  arrival  of  her  ex-pupil  Esther  Lekejian,  or 
Stella  Adair,  as  she  was  more  familiarly  called. 

Miss  MacNaughtan  was  American  by  birth,  Scotch  by 
ancestry,  and  English  by  adoption.  She  kept  a  boarding- 
achool  for  girls. 

Her  school  was  expensive — you  had  only  to  take  into 
consideration  its  charming  situation  (close  to  Kensington 
Gardens,  and  within  a  quarter  of  an  hour's  walk  of  one 
of  the  most  fashionable  London  churches),  and  the  air 
of  luxury  which  pervaded  the  establishment,  to  gauge 
that  the  cost  of  a  single  pupil  seldom  came  out  at  less  than 
three  hundred  a  year. 

Yet  in  spite  of  the  luxury,  freedom,  and  modernity  of 
the  school,  the  girls  were  not  spoilt.  If  a  girl  was  nice 
when  she  came  to  Miss  MacNaughtan,  she  was  much  nicer 
when  she  left  her  ;  if  she  was  horrid  when  she  arrived  she 
was  far  less  horrid  when  she  went  away. 

She  had  a  genius  for  discovering  the  good  points  in 
her  worst  pupils,  she  had  also  a  genius  for  teaching  them 
how  to  make  the  best  of  their  looks.  She  declared  that 
no  woman  who  used  her  wits  need  ever  look  plain. 

She  surrounded  her  girls  with  beauty,  and  she  demanded 
of  them  their  utmost  to  add  to  it. 

Her  achool  was  "  a  very  garden  of  girls." 

When  the  old  butler  announced  "  Miss  Lekejian,"  Miss 
MacNaughtan  rose  from  her  deep-seated  chair  with  the 
alacrity  of  a  girl  in  her  teens.  She  held  out  her  arms,  and 
Stella  flew  into  them.  For  a  moment  neither  spoke,  foi 
the  girl  was  in  tears — tears  of  joy  at  finding  herself  once 
more  in  the  old  room,  surrounded  by  the  dear  familial 
objects,  and  in  the  arms  of  her  darling  "  Naughtie." 

Miss  MacNaughtan  loosened  her  embrace  and  held 
Stella  back  from  her.  She  looked  at  her  carefully,  then 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  3 

pulled  her  face  towards  her  own  again  and  kissed  it.  "  Just 
what  I  expected,  dear." 

Stella  gave  a  slight  start.  Did  Naughtie  guess  that  she 
had  dared  to  love  some  one  whom  "  Naughtie  "  had  never 
seen,  after  the  thousands  of  times  she  had  said  that  she 
must  find  her  a  lover,  because  she  always  discovered 
the  best  and  nicest  sort  of  people  in  the  world  ?  "  What 
did  you  expect  t  "  asked  Stella  a  little  nervously. 

Miss  MacNaughtan  laughed  at  her  old  pupil's  anxious 
face :  "  I  expected  beauty  and  tenderness  and  passion." 

She  led  the  girl  to  a  sofa  whose  cushioned  seat  was  so 
deep  and  ample  that  they  sank  into  it  as  though  it  were 
a  feather  mattress. 

With  a  motherly  laugh  Miss  MacNaughtan  wiped  away 
Stella's  tears. 

"  Oh  !  Naughtie,  I  knew  I'd  cry  when  I  saw  you,  and 
now  that  everything  is  just  the  same — this  heavenly 
sofa,  the  bowls  of  red  roses,  and  the  beloved  pictures,  and 
the  cool  walls,  and  oh  !  just  everything,  I  want  to  go  on 
crying  more  than  ever." 

"  But,  Stella,  you've,  had  a  lovely  time,  you've  been 
presented  to  three  queens  and  seen  almost  all  the  world, 
and  .  .  ." 

"  But  not  my  own  country ;  I  wouldn't  go  there.  I 
wouldn't  go  to  it  as  a  globe-trotter  or  as  a  tourist." 

Miss  MacNaughtan  dropped  her  eyes  as  Stella  went  on  : 

"  And,  after  all,  you've  been  there  without  me.  It  was 
too  bad  :  you  promised  to  keep  Egypt  until  I  could  receive 
you  there  in  my  own  home." 

"  The  opportunity  came,  child,  and  I  took  it.  One  of 
the  'parents  paid  for  everything.  I  took  his  two  daughters 
up  the  Nile  as  far  as  Abu  Simbel." 

Stella's  eyes  shone.  "  Was  it  glorious  ?  I've  seen  Abu 
Simbel  in  my  dreams  a  thousand  times  ;  did  you  love  it  t 
Did  you  enjoy  Cairo  f  I'm  burning  to  go  there.  Did 
you  meet  any  of  my  people — my  cousin  Girgis  ?  Hi» 
mother  has  a  big  house  in  Cairo  ;  I  can  just  remember  its 
lovely  Arab  hall." 

She  was  looking  at  her  old  schoolmistress  eagerly,  and  as 
she  looked  a  note  of  anxiety  crept  into  her  voice.  "  Why 
do  you  look  like  that,  Naughtie  ?  Were  you  not  happy 
in  Egypt  f  Did  it  overpower  you  t — you  always  said  it 
would.  Were  you  disappointed  ?  " 

Miss  MacNaughtan  laughed  :  "  No,  dear,  I  was  not  dis- 
appointed. .  .  ." 

"  Then  why  do  you  evade  my  eyes  ?  "  The  girl  pulled 
her  teacher's  face  towards  her.  Their  eyes  met. 

"  Tell  me  why  you  didn't  like  Egypt,"  persisted  Stella. 


4  A  WIFE  OUT  OP  EGYPT 

"  But  I  did  like  Egypt." 

"  Then  tell  me  what  you  wish  to  hide  about  Egypt  t  " 

Miss  MacNaughtan  laughed  her  kind  laugh,  "  How  my 
pupil  has  learned  to  dictate  ?  .  .  .  I  have  nothing  to 
hide,  only  I  think  you  are  expecting  too  much  .  .  .  too 
much,  I  mean,  of  Cairo.  You  can't  expect  too  much  of 
the  Nile,  but  remember  your  home  is  in  Cairo,  which  is  a 
very  different  thing." 

The  girl's  radiant  face  clouded.  "  Why  am  I  expecting 
too  much  T  Isn't  it  what  Lane  says — the  most  mediaeval 
city  in  the  world  ?  I  don't  suppose  I  was  ever  allowed  to 
go  into  the  native  parts,  but  I  have  read  and  read  about 
it.  And  then  the  things  one  doesn't  read  about — the 
gaiety  and  the  pleasure-loving  life  the  people  lead.  .  ." 
I  love  dancing  ;  I've  become  awfully  frivolous,  Naughtie." 

"  I'm  so  glad,  Baby  "  :  the  old  name  slipped  out  from 
habit,  for  Stella  had  been  given  over  to  Miss  MacNaughtan's 
care  when  she  was  only  seven  years  old.  The  school- 
mistress had  been  urged  and  persuaded  to  take  the  child 
by  a  tie  of  friendship  which  went  very  deep. 

Stella's  father  was  a  wealthy  Syrian  living  in  Cairo. 
Her  mother,  who  was  Irish  by  birth,  determined  that  her 
child  should  be  educated  in  Europe,  and  so,  through  the 
influence  of  an  old  friend,  Stella  was  received  into  Miss 
MacNaughtan's  school.  Every  summer  her  father  and 
mother  had  come  to  England  and  had  taken  their  only 
daughter  for  her  holidays  either  to  Scotland,  or  to  the  high 
hill-towns  of  Italy,  or  to  France.  The  rest  of  her  holidays 
she  had  spent  with  Miss  MacNaughtan,  or  with  some  friend 
of  Miss  MacNaughtan's,  and,  when  she  was  old  enough, 
with  chosen  school-friends.  The  girl  who  was  lucky  enough 
to  carry  off  Stella  Adair  as  holiday  visitor  wore  a  sort  of 
halo  in  the  school  for  the  next  term. 

Stella  was  all  that  a  school  demands  of  its  leader.  She 
was  beautiful,  or  so  they  thought ;  she  was  high-spirited, 
she  was  clever  and  imaginative.  But  it  was  her  extra- 
ordinary gift  of  languages  which  placed  her  on  the  altar 
of  genius.  Her  parents  talked  Italian  to  her  during  her 
holidays  in  Italy,  though  they  spoke  Arabic  in  their  home 
life,  and  she  had  spent  long  summers  with  them  in  Ger- 
many. At  school  her  nurse  was  French.  er  weekly 
letters  from  home  were  always  in  Arabic.  During  her 
tour  round  the  world,  which  she  had  just  accomplished, 
with  her  parents,  she  had  insisted  upon  speaking  Arabic, 
for  she  was  distressed  to  find  that  she  had  become  almost 
a  stranger  to  the  spoken  language.  The  classic  language 
which  is  used  in  writing  is  scarcely  understood  by  the 
uneducated  classes  or  by  any  class  who  have  only  heard  the 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  6 

spoken  language.  Of  Syria  she  rarely  thought.  Egypt 
had  been  the  land  of  her  people  for  many  generations, 
yet  of  modern  and  social  Egypt  she  knew  nothing.  She 
could  study  its  ancient  mysteries  and  cults  in  museums  or 
in  books.  She  had  attended  classes  at  the  London  College, 
and  she  had  paid  generous  fees  to  the  best  lady  guides  who 
conduct  strangers  round  the  Egyptian  portion  of  the 
British  Museum. 

Miss  MacNaughtan  in  her  brief  tour  up  the  Nile  had  felt 
its  spell  and  reverenced  its  omnipotence,  but  her  fort- 
night's residence  in  Cairo  had  taught  her  many  things 
which  hurt  her  big  nature  when  she  thought  of  her  charming 
pupil,  and  how  bitterly  her  years  of  waiting  for  the  land  of 
her  adoption  were  to  be  repaid. 

She  had  learned  that  in  Cairo,  Stella,  the  pride  of  her 
Bchool,  the  baby  of  her  motherless  heart,  the  child  whom 
she  had  reared  to  such  splendid  womanhood,  would  be  to 
all  intents  and  purposes  a  social  outcast.  She  had  learned 
that  a  cruel  deception  had  been  practised  on  the  girl  who 
had  been  reared  in  the  belief  that  for  her  life  would  be  a 
splendid  thing,  that  the  lavish  expenditure  of  money, 
affection,  and  social  training  which  had  been  bestowed 
upon  her  was  to  fit  her  for  a  life  which  would  make  great 
demands  upon  her  intellectually  as  well  as  socially.  All 
this  now  struck  the  woman  who  had  mothered  her  and 
guarded  her  as  an  act  of  cruelty. 

Miss  MacNaughtan  said  nothing  of  all  that  was  passing 
in  her  own  mind.  Stella  repeated  the  words,  "  Half  of 
my  nature's  very  frivolous." 

"  I  am  so  glad,  dear.  When  girls  can't  be  frivolous 
I'm  always  afraid  ;  they  generally  become  cranks  or  marry 
undesirables." 

"  Naughtie,  how  like  you  !     What  principles  you  teach  !  " 
They  both  laughed. 

"  All  I  know  is,  dear,"  the  older  woman  said,  "  that  1 
always  think  twice  before  I  allow  a  serious  girl  any  liberty." 
"  Had  you  ever  any  trouble  with  me  t  " 
"  Not  in  that  way,  dear,"  Miss  MacNaughtan  laughed. 
The  girl  hugged  her  lovingly.     "  It  was   because  you 
trusted  me  so  completely."  j 

Stella  rose  from  the  sofa.  "  I  love  your  black  cushions. 
They're  new,  aren't  they  ?  And  the  carpet — how  clever 
you  are  about  colour  !  This  room's  like  a  cool  garden  with 
roses  and  green  lawns."  She  pulled  Miss  MacNaughtan 
out  of  her  seat. 

The  girl  gazed  round  the  room.  "  It's  delightful.  .  .  . 
What  a  dear  room  for  girls  to  live  in,  Naughtie ;  and  I 
took  it  all  for  granted  .  .  .  but  now  that  I've  stayed  for 


6  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

weeks  and  weeks  in  vulgar  hotels  and  poor  inns  and  pen- 
sions, I  can  realize  all  that  you  gave  us.  But  do  come  and 
let  me  go  over  every  inch  of  the  house  ....  I  must 
pay  a  visit  to  the  kitchens.  Are  they  all  here  still  T  I 
spoke  to  Clarkie  "  (Stella  had  labelled  the  butler  Clarkson, 
because  he  wore  a  wig). 

"  Yes,  they're  all  here.  My  servants  never  seem  to 
want  a  change." 

The  girl  laughed.  "  I  shouldn't  think  they  did  want  a 
change :  you  over-feed  them,  and  over-pay  them,  and 
over-consider  them." 

"  But  they  do  their  work." 

"  They    know    that    even    though    you    spoil    people, 
Naughtie,  you  mean  them  to  do  their  duties." 
"  Have  I  spoilt  you  T     Are  my  girls  spoilt  1  " 
Stella  turned  swiftly  and  impulsively  hugged  her.     "  No, 
they're   not ;    and   I   hope   I'm   not.     But   oh,    Naughtie, 
how  I've  wanted  to  meet  some  one  as  vital  and  alive  and 
keen  as  you  are !     You've  spoilt  all  other  women  for  me." 
Miss  MacNaughtan  laughed  :  "  But  not  other  men  !  " 
Over  the  girl's  face  a  warmer  tint  dyed  the  pale,  pure 
skin.     "  Come  and  let's  look  at  my  old  bedroom,"  she  said, 
"  And  the  blue  drawing-room — is  it  still  blue  1  "     Miss 
MacNaughtan  nodded,  "  yea."     "  And  the  concert-hall  !  " 
"  Oh,   how  lovely  !  "   she  cried,   as  she  followed  Miss 
MacNaughtan  into  the  blue  drawing-room.     It  was  still 
blue,  but  glorious  touches  of  colour  had  been  added  to  it 
since  Stella's  day,   and  a  frieze  of  old   Japanese  prints, 
whose  predominating  note  was  orange,  ran  round  the  room. 
The  girl  put  her  arm  again  through  Miss  MacNaughtan's. 
"  Naughtie,  why  did  I  ever  grow  up  ?     I  do  so  want  to 
come  back  ....     I  want  the  wonderful  mixture  of  intel- 
lectual food  and  humanity  that  you  put  into  life." 

"  But,  dear,  you're  coming  into  so  much,  you  can  do 
and  see  anything  you  care  about." 

"  But  it's  your  mind  and  vitality  that  suggests  and 
invests  these  things  with  interest.  Other  people  let  things 
slip  past,  other  people  live  in  grooves  ;  I  know  I'll  do  the 
same." 

Miss  MacNanghtan  looked  at  her.  "  I  don't  think  you 
will,  honey ;  but  if  you  do,  remember  grooves  are  very 
comfortable  things." 

The  girl  was  pulling  oft  her  left  glove  very  slowly.  ''  You 
used  to  make  me  think  that  I  would  never  want  to  marry. 
I  used  to  say  that  I  would  live  just  like  you,  enjoying 
raen'e  society  freely  and  liking  them  just  enough  and  no 
•nore  than  to  make  life  agreeable.  But  lately  ..." 
Stella  had  pulled  off  her  glove,  her  hand  was  thrust  sud- 


A  WIFE  OUT  OP  EGYPT  7 

denly  before  Miss  MacNaughtan's  eyes,  a  sob  broke  her 
voice  :  "  Naughtie,  I  do  hope  you'll  like  him  !  " 

"  My  dear,"  the  older  woman  said,  while  her  arms 
clasped  the  girl  eagerly  to  her :  "  Has  my  baby  found  her 
other  half  T  .  .  .  Is  he  the  other  half  God  made  for  my 
baby — are  you  sure  1  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  the  girl  said.  "  I  don't  really  know, 
but  I'm  sure  I  love  him  !  " 

"  But  why  don't  you  know,  dear  T  ** 

"  I  can't  tell ;  I  don't  even  know  if  I  understand  him  : 
but  he  adores  me,  and  I  love  to  be  adored  !  " 

"  Who  is  he  f  .  .  .  do  I  know  him  t  " 

"  He's  the  brother  of  Nancy  Thorpe.  I've  been  staying 
with  her  people  ;  he  was  there." 

Miss  MacNaughtan's  eyes  looked  troubled. 

Nancy  Thorpe  had  been  at  her  school  for  four  years, 
She  belonged  to  one  of  the  oldest  of  Norfolk  families.  As. 
a  race  the  Thorpes  were  arrogant  and  family-proud.  The 
men  were  good-looking  and  selfish,  the  women  lovely  and 
reckless. 

"  Do  you  know  what  he  said  when  I  promised  to  marry 
him,  Naughtie  ?  That  he  had  never  been  conceited  before, 
but  that  now  he  would  never  be  un-conceited  again."  He 
never  believes  I  can  be  in  earnest  about  my  love  for  him 
because,  he  says,  he's  such  an  ordinary  sort  of  a  duffer." 

"  Is  he  ordinary  ?  .  .  .  Ordinary  from  your  intel- 
lectual standpoint  ?  " 

The  girl  paused.  "  He's  frightfully  good-looking,  at 
least  I  think  so.  And  about  his  own  job  he  knows  far 
more  than  I  do." 

"  Well,  let  us  hope  so.     What  is  his  own  job  ^  " 

"  He's  a  soldier." 

'  And  about  the  things  you  care  for  that  are  not  his 
own  job  .  .  .  have  you  much  in  common  t  " 

The  girl's  eyes  dropped.  "  I  don't  know,"  she  said. 
"  I  really  don't  know,  for  we  were  in  love  with  each  other 
too  soon  to  find  out,  and  when  we're  together,  that's  just 
enough  !  .  .  .  It  was  only  when  I  was  coming  to  you 
to-day  that  I  kept  wondering  what  I  should  tell  you  about 
him  :  it  made  me  ask  myself  what  I  did  know  about  him 
except  the  fact  that  I  love  him."  The  girl's  voice  broke. 
"And  you  led  me  to  think  that  .  .  ."  she  paused,  "  that 
...  a  woman  loved  a  man  and  wished  to  give  herself  to 
him  because  he  responded  to  all  the  intellectual  interests 
in  her  nature  as  well  as  the  other  feelings,  because  he 
awakened  new  qualities  in  her,  because  she  admired  him — 
oh  !  I  don't  know  how  to  express  all  you  taught  me  to 
expect,  and  no  wit  isn't  like  that  .  .  .  not  a  bit  like  that  T" 


S  A  WIFE  OUT  OP  EGYPT 

"  What  is  it  like  !  " 

"  It's  like  something  you  don't  understand,  something 
that  has  no  reason  in  it :  you  just  love  because  you  can't 
help  yourself  ...  it  takes  possession  of  you." 

"  I  think  it's  the  real  thing,  dear  child.  I  can  teach 
my  bairns  lots  of  things,  but  no  one  can  teach  them  what 
only  God  knows — which  halves  fit  into  which." 

The  girl's  eyes  were  full  of  gratitude.  "  I  think  he  was 
meant  for  me,  Naughtie,  for  we  loved  each  other  right  away, 
and  I  feel  quite  unworthy  of  him,  and  he  feels  himself 
horribly  unworthy  of  me,  so  it  sounds  all  right.  I  ought 
to  be  grateful  to  you  for  having  made  me  what  I  am  .  .  . 
the  kind  of  me  that  he  thinks  so  wonderful." 

"  Dear  child,  I  had  splendid  ground  to  cultivate  ;  .  .  . 
I  can  take  very  little  credit  to  myself  ;  .  .  .  but  I  should 
like  to  see  your  man." 

"  So  you  will.     May  I  bring  himhere  on  Sunday  night  t  " 

"  Yes,  dear,  bring  him.     When  are  you  to  be  married  f  " 

"  Oh  !  "  the  girl  cried.  "  I  don't  know  .  .  .  give  me 
breathing  time  ....  I'm  going  to  Cairo  next  week — 
I  want  to  know  something  about  my  home  before  he  comes 
out ;  his  regiment's  going  there  next  winter  ...  it  will 
be  about  nine  months  until  we  meet :  he  wants  me  to 
marry  him  immediately,  before  we  leave  London." 

"  Has  he  met  your  mother !  Does  he  know  your 
people  t  "  Miss  MacNaughtan  tried  to  hide  the  anxious 
note  in  her  voice. 

"  Oh,  yes,  he  adores  mother  ;  often  I  feel  quite  jealous 
of  her  .  .  .  she  looks  so  young  and  pretty,  all  men  admire 
her  ;  sh  3  often  finds  things  out  about  Vernon  that  I  don't 
know." 

Miss  MacNaughtan  pulled  the  girl's  ear.  "  You  haven't 
time !  " 

At  that  moment  Clarkson  appeared. 

"  Well,  Clarkson  t  " 

"  Please,  m'm,  have  you  forgotten  there  is  a  committee 
meeting  at  6.301  " 

Miss  MacNaughtan  gave  one  of  her  youthful  laughs. 
"  Have  they  been  waiting  long  1  " 

"  Only  five  minutes,  m'm,  but  I  thought  I'd  better  tell 
you." 

"  Tell  them  I'll  be  down  in  two  minutes." 

She  crossed  the  room  hurriedly,  calling  :  "Good-bye,  dear. 
Sunday  night — mind  you  bring  him  ...  let  yourself  out, 
won't  you  ?  .  .  .  my  notes  are  downstairs." 

As  Miss  MacNaughtan  disappeared  Stella  laughed  to 
herself.  "  Just  the  same  as  ever,"  she  said,  "  the  darling  !  " 
Always  doing  ten  times  more  than  any  other  woman, 


A  WIPE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  9 

und  always  with  spare  time  to  see  her  tiresome,  adoring 
pupils. 

She  flung  herself  down  on  the  sofa. 

For  a  moment  she  tried  to  think  of  herself  back  into 
the  peace  of  the  old  school-days,  the  peace  of  a  life  which, 
tvith  all  its  gaities  and  interests,  had  held  none  of  the  new 
passion  which  had  awakened  in  her. 

In  a  few  moments  Clarkson  opened  the  drawing-room 
door  again.  When  he  saw  the  girl's  attitude  he  withdrew. 

Stella  called  after  him.  "  Clarkie,  come  back  !  I'm  so 
happy  !  I'm  going  to  be  married." 

"  No,  miss  !  " 

"  Yes,  Clarkson  ;  why  not  1  " 

"  H'excuse  me,  miss,  I  forgot ;  you  see  it  was  h'only 
yesterday  that  you  was  a  baby,  miss." 

The  girl  laughed.  ...     "  How's  your  wife,  Clarkson  !  " 

"  That's  what  I  came  about,  please,  miss  ;  you  see  she 
can't  walk,  and  she'll  not  be  contented  with  all  that  I  can 
tell  her — she'll  want  to  know  h'everything." 

"  About  what,  Clarkson  t  " 

"  About  you,  miss — h'every  single  thing.  .  .  ."  He 
paused. 

"  Do  you  want  me  to  go  and  see  her  t  " 

"  I  wasn't  thinking  of  h'asking  h'any  such  thing,  miss." 

"  Of  course  I'll  go,  Clarkie.  .  .  .  Does  she  live  in  the 
same  place  .  .  .  1  " 

"  Yes,  miss,  number  h'eight,  'arrington  Mews,  but  I 
couldn't  have  you  go  round  there  alone,  miss  .  I  had  only 
come  h'up  to  h'ask  you  please,  if  you  had  such  a  thing  as 
a  picture  of  yourself  you  could  let  me  show  my  missus. 
I'd  take  h'every  care  of  it,  miss." 

"  Why,  Clarkie,  I'll  take  her  my  photograph  for  herself. 
Tell  her  I'll  come  on  Sunday  afternoon,  and  I'll  bring  the 
gentleman  I'm  going  to  marry." 

"  Ho,  miss  " — something  very  like  tears  rolled  down  the 
old  man's  face — "  you  are  not  h' altered,  not  one  h'atom. 
Thank  you,  miss  ;  I'll  tell  her  that ;  shall  I  call  a  taxi, 
miss  1  " 

Stella  was  putting  on  her  gloves.  "  Look,  Clarkson, 
there's  my  ring." 

The  old  man  stepped  politely  forward  to  look  at  the 
odd-looking  ring :  it  was  one  made  after  Stella's  own 
fancy.  "  Very  nice,  miss,  h'lm  sure,  but  you  h' always 
had  beautiful  rings." 

"  But  this  one  is  a  special  ring,  and  so  to  me  it  is  specially 
beautiful.  I  suppose  my  young  man  is  just  a  fine  young 
man  like  so  many  other  fine  young  men  ...  to  me  he 
is  quite  different." 


10  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

"  That's  right,  miss,  that's  'ow  I  knew  it  would  be  some 
lay,  though  it  does  seem  strange  to  a  man  as  'ow  as  beauti- 
ful a  young  lady  as  you,  miss,  and  as  clever  a  young  lady, 
should  ever  come  to  look  upon  an  h'ordinary  young  chap 
fike  that." 

The  girl  laughed  delightedly.  "  That's  your  veneration 
for  our  sex,  Clarkson.  Vernon's  so  good-looking  that 
lota  of  women  will  wonder  how  it  was  that  he  ever  came  to 
look  upon  an  ordinary  girl  like  myself." 

"  Ho  no,  miss  !  "  Clarkson's  voice  was  reproachful. 
Miss  Stella  had  been  Miss  MacNaughtan's  most  admired 
pupil,  she  was  now  a  creature  of  such  refined  and  unusual 
beauty,  that  she  had  no  right  to  speak  of  herself  as  an 
"  h'ordinary  "  girl. 

CHAPTER  III 

Two  days  later  Clarkson  showed  Stella  and  her  lover  into 
Miss  MacNaughtan's  drawing-room.  As  he  closed  the 
door  behind  them  and  walked  slowly  down  the  wide  stair- 
way, he  said  to  himself  :"  Good-looking  young  chap  enough, 
but  Gawd,  'ow  h'ordinary  !  " 

And  that  was  just  what  Miss  MacNaughtan  thought  of 
him. 

"  Physically,  one  of  England's  finest  specimens,  but 
mentally — Gawd,  'ow  h'ordinary  !  " 

Yet  when  her  pupil  followed  her  into  her  little  ante-room 
on  some  feeble  pretext  to  ask  her  what  she  thought  of 
him,  she  answered  "  Delightful,  quite  a  prince  charming." 
With  his  fair  colouring,  frank  English  eyes  and  faultless 
figure,  she  might  well  say  he  was  charming,  for  he  had  the 
distinction  of  the  Thorpe  breeding,  and  she  had  no  reason 
for  thinking  him  stupid,  for  as  she  touched  upon  a  score  of 
subjects  he  made  keen  and  apt  observations.  Yet  in  her 
heart  she  had  labelled  him,  as  Clarkson  had,  "  h'ordinary." 

During  the  interview  Egypt  and  more  had  become 
the  topic  of  conversation.  Stella  had  laughingly  told  her 
lover  that  Miss  MacNaughtan  did  not  care  for  Cairo.  "  She 
thinks  the  English  in  Cairo  either  bores  or  snobs." 

"  In  what  way  t  "  Vernon  asked.  He  turned  to  Miss 
MacNaughtan  ...  he  hoped  she  didn't  think  they  ought 
to  hob-nob  with  the  natives  .  .  .  (He  hadn't  the  slightest 
idea  of  what  he  really  meant  by  the  word  natives,  whether 
Mohammedans,  Copts,  Greeks,  or  Persians  ;  he  was  totally 
ignorant  of  the  wonderfully  heterogeneous  mixture  of 
races  which  make  up  the  human  scum  of  Cairo).  By 
heredity  he  had  the  strongest  feelings,  which  had  as  yet 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  11 

been  untouched,  as  to  who  were  fit  for  Englishmen  to 
associate  with  iu  foreign  countries. 

He  had  failed  to  remember,  after  his  first  introduction  to 
Btella,  that  she  was  Syrian  by  birth.  He  admired  her 
mother,  who  was  Irish.  He  had  forgotten  her  father  was 
a  Syrian  so  completely  that  Miss  MacNaughtan's  words 
did  not  suggest  anything  uncomfortable.  Stella  had 
certainly  nothing  in  the  world  to  do  with  his  preconceived 
idea  of  "  natives."  Natives  were,  to  his  very  Saxon  mind, 
beings  absolutely  beneath  him  ;  while  Stella,  he  had  the 
grace  to  feel,  was  far  above  him  !  He  thought  of  her  with 
pride,  he  thought  of  her  with  self-satisfaction.  The  know- 
ledge that  she  loved  him  gave  him  a  new  belief  in  himself. 

Vernon  was  one  of  the  unimaginative  Englishmen  whose 
good  looks  are  accentuated  by  Saxon  colouring  and  an 
almost  Hellenic  devotion  to  physical  training.  What  he 
had  really  thought  out  for  himself  and  believed  in,  and 
what  was  merely  the  result  of  caste,  it  is  hard  to  say. 
Like  most  Englishmen  he  expressed  himself  as  seldom  aa 
possible  on  any  subject  that  mattered.  His  mind  never 
wandered  into  abstract  paths  ;  but  he  had  the  desired 
characteristics  of  an  Englishman, — grit  enough  to  endure 
hardships  without  grousing,  and  courage  enough  to  know 
fear  and  face  it.  He  had  not  the  highly-developed  sen- 
sibilities of  the  Latin  races,  but  his  sense  of  honour  and  for 
all  that  comes  within  an  Englishman's  understanding  of 
that  virtue,  was  very  much  alive. 

He  had  been  taught,  as  all  English  boys  are  taught, 
that  the  telling  of  a  lie  is  a  crime  ;  he  had  not  been  taught 
its  equivalent  in  the  Latin  mind — the  sin  of  hurting  an- 
other's feelings. 

So  he  belonged  to  the  countless  class  of  Englishmen 
who  show  all  human  beings  who  are  not  of  the  Western 
world  that  he  scorns  them,  who  would  rather  make  his 
friends  uncomfortable  than  tell  a  lie. 

Miss  MacNaughtan's  answer  to  Vernon's  question  was 
equivocating  and  unprovocative  of  further  comment. 

She  was  glad  to  change  the  subject,  for  her  wide  experi- 
ence of  human  character  told  her  that  this  typical  Anglo- 
Saxon,  who  had  fallen  in  love  with  her  highly-gifted  pupil, 
was  as  full  of  inherited  prejudices  as  an  Oriental  is  full  of 
superstitions. 

To  herself  she  declared  :  "  He  ought  to  marry  a  fair 
English  woman  who  would  perpetuate  his  pink  complexion 
und  race,  and  not  one  who  would  taint  it  with  the  passion 
jind  pain  of  the  pale  children  of  the  East,  whose  forefathers 
knew  and  followed  '  the  Man  of  Sorrows  who  was  ac- 
luainted  with  grief.'  " 


CHAPTER     V 

STELLA  had  been  in  Egypt  for  almost  a  year  ;  in  anothei 
week  her  lover  would  arrive. 

She  was  sitting  in  the  garden  of  her  beautiful  home, 
thinking  over  all  that  had  happened  since  her  arrival  in 
Cairo,  of  all  the  scales  that  had  fallen  from  her  eyes  ! 

She  felt  a  hundred  years  older  and  a  thousand  times 
less  in  love  with  humanity  generally.  The  time  had  passed 
very  quickly,  because  everything  had  been  new  to  her, 
and  her  home-life  was  delightful.  If  there  was  nothing 
else  to  please  her  in  Egypt,  surely  this  garden  with  its 
exquisite  pergolas  and  Eastern  kiosks  of  old  grey  wood, 
its  mysterious  devices  for  the  introducing  of  water-courses 
and  artificial  lakes,  its  odorous  orchards  of  rare  fruits 
and  scented  shrubs,  was  sufficient.  It  was  lovely  and 
mysterious  enough  to  gratify  any  Eastern  princess.  But 
in  it  Stella  still  felt  herself  strangely  Western  :  things  had 
not  grown  familiar  to  her  with  the  familiarity  of  a  native 
land.  The  very  servants  in  her  mother's  house  appeared 
to  her  impossible  as  servants,  they  were  the  adjuncts  of 
an  Eastern  tableau. 

But  it  was  not  the  strangeness  of  things  which  had  pro- 
duced the  feeling  of  age  and  bitterness  in  her  heart ;  it 
was  not  the  mystery  of  Egypt,  with  its  power  of  the  Un- 
seen and  its  terrorising  sense  of  Age — it  was  something 
wholly  modern  and  unexpected. 

It  was  the  finding  of  herself  little  better  than  a  social 
outcast  amongst  the  people  who  were  the  Power  for  Good 
in  Egypt,  amongst  the  people  of  a  nation  who  had  spoiled 
her  and  courted  her  and  reared  her  in  their  bosom.  As 
yet  she  had  not  mentioned  a  word  of  her  feelings  upon  the 
subject  to  her  people.  She  loved  them  too  much,  and  her 
devotion  to  ngland  forbade  it. 

"  There  must  be  some  reason,  there  must  be  something 
more  than  I  know  !  "  she  had  often  said  to  herself. 

There  was  a  great  deal  more  than  she  knew,  only  she 
had  imagined  that  the  fault  lay  with  her  own  family,  that 
there  was  some  hidden  skeleton  about  which  every  one 
knew  but  herself. 

Her  brother  was  the  only  person  to  whom  she  could 
speak  on  the  subject,  but  there  was  something  about  his 
personality  and  expression  which  told  her  that  he  had  lived 
his  suffering  down,  that  he  had  made  a  world  for  himself 
above  the  petty  snobbery  of  race  prejudice,  that  he  did 
not  wish  to  re-open  the  old  wound. 


A  WIPE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  13 

She  was  sitting  in  the  coolest  spot  in  the  garden,  for  the 
November  sun  was  warmer  than  any  sun  she  had  known 
in  urope  :  in  her  white  frock  she  looked  a  delightful  picture 
of  luxurious  girlhood.  To-day  there  was  a  subject  she  had 
to  think  out  and  settle  quite  definitely. 

"  Salome  "  was  to  be  performed  at  the  Opera  that  even- 
ing. It  was  the  opening  night  of  the  season  ;  she  longed 
to  go.  So  far  she  had  only  been  t  one  or  two  social  func- 
tions in  Cairo — they  did  not  bear  thinking  about !  .  .  . 
Would  the  opera  be  a  repetition  f 

Then  there  was  Vernon  !  He  would  be  in  Cairo  in  a 
week.  Did  he  know  ?  Did  he  understand  ^  Would  he 
have  courage  ?  The  "  something "  in  her  heart  which 
made  her  fear,  instead  of  rejoice,  at  the  nearness  of  his 
coming  made  her  hunger  all  the  more  for  an  instant  proof 
of  his  devotion,  for  an  instant  proof  of  his  disregard  for 
the  prejudices  of  his  race. 

She  did  not  allow  herself  to  frame  any  definite  fear  in 
connection  with  his  arrival.  His  letters  were  everything 
that  her  all  or  nothing  nature  could  desire  ;  they  surely 
ought  to  have  drowned  the  whispering  voice  of  fear.  Yet 
the  whisper  nig  voice  told  her  that  as  Hadassah  Lekejian 
in  Cairo  she  was  a  very  different  person  from  the  Stella 
he  had  known.  She  had  been  christened  Esther,  but  her 
father  liked  to  call  her  Hadassah,  the  old  Persian  rendering 
of  the  Biblical  Esther.  In  England  she  had  been  known 
as  Stella  Adair.  Would  Vernon  feel  as  proud  to  say, 
"  Hadassah  is  mine  !  Hadassah  is  mine  !  "  as  he  had  been 
to  repeat  to  himself,  "  Stella  is  mine  !  Stella  is  mine  1  " 
Then  she  remembered  how  something  unknown  in  her  had 
said,  "  I  am  not  yours  yet !  I  wonder  which  of  us  will 
have  changed  the  most  when  we  meet." 

Nicolas,  her  brother,  was  coming  towards  her  ;  his  good 
looks  thrilled  her  with  pride  ;  he  was  a  delightful  person  to 
own  for  a  brother.  She  had  seen  so  little  of  him  during  her 
years  at  school  that  she  was  quite  unprepared,  on  her 
arrival  in  Cairo,  for  the  pleasure  his  personality  afforded 
her.  Since  she  had  left  Miss  MacNaughtau's  school,  in 
her  travels  round  the  world,  or  during  her  visits  to  her 
m  ny  friends,  she  had  met  no  one  who  was  her  brother's 
equal  in  intellectual  refinement  or  good  looks.  With  all 
the  warmth  of  her  ungrudging  nature  she  Iready  adored 
him.  He  was  equally  proud  of  his  sister. 

Nicolas  sat  himself  down  beside  her,  and  as  he  did  BO 
he  laid  a  small  roll  of  music  in  (manuscript)  and  a  spray 
of  tuberose  on  her  lap.  She  lifted  the  white  flower  to  hoi- 
nostrils,  and  softly  and  sensuously  drew  in  its  lusciouf 
fragrance. 


14  A  WIPE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

"  Is  it  finished  t  "  she  said  ;  her  eyes  fell  on  the  MS. 

"  Not  quite,  but  I've  ot  it  .  .  .  it's  there  " — he  touched 
the  roll  with  his  sensitive  fingers — "  it's  there  ;  I  can't 
lose  it  now.  I've  only  to  elaborate  on  the  theme." 

"  How  splendid  !  "  she  said.     "  Shall  I  play  it  for  you  !  " 

Not  yet,  it's  too  rough."     He  sighed  heavily. 

"  You're  tired —  "  she  said. 

"A  little,"  he  answered,  "I'm  going  for  a  ride;  now 
that's  off  my  mind  I  feel  free." 

He  rose  to  go.  She  knew  the  words  he  had  come  to  say 
were  still  unspoken.  With  his  back  turned  to  her  ho  said  : 
"  What  about  to-night,  Stella  1  " 

"  Are  we  going  !  "  she  said. 

"  Do  you  want  to  t  " 

"  I  want  to  hear  '  Salome.'  " 

He  suddenly  swung  round.  "  Go,"  he  said,  "  For  the 
little  mother's  sake  go,  and  you  will  soon  grow  to  feel  as 
I  do." 

"  Oh,  Nicolas  !  " 

"  I  lived  in  Germany  and  France  for  seven  years ;  I 
understand.  I  was  so  well  off  that  I  was  a  little  king  there. 
I  forgot  all  about  Cairo." 

She  caught  his  hand.  "  You  are  a  king  anywhere." 
She  stood  up  beside  him  ...  he  put  his  arm  tenderly 
round  her  waist,  and  looked  at  her  with  almost  a  lover's 
devotion.  "  We're  rather  a  nice-looking  couple,"  she  said 
laughingly  .  .  .  her  voice  faltered  .  .  .  "yet  we  might 
be  lepers  !  " 

"  Hush ! "  he  said.  "  Don't.  She's  borne  it  all  her 
life  without  one  word." 

"  How  she  must  have  loved  him  !  " 

"  He's  been  worth  it  .  .  . !  "  the  words  were  spoken 
with  asperity. 

Stella  dropped  her  eyes.  She  had  not  learnt  yet  the  true 
worth  of  her  father's  nature — his  incorruptibleness  in  a 
corrupt  land  ;  his  sense  of  justice,  which  had  never  been 
blinded  by  the  injustices  perpetrated  against  him  ;  and, 
best  of  aU,  his  sincerity  as  a  Christian.  Nicolas  under- 
stood all  these  things,  and  often  wondered  in  his  heart  at 
his  father's  gentleness  of  speech,  his  generosity  of  purpose. 

"  Here  comes  mother,"  he  said.  He  looked  at  the  girl 
with  eyes  which  asked  for  thoughtfulness  for  the  creature 
he  adored. 

Stella  rose  to  meet  her  mother :  her  brother  sauntered 
off  with  his  music  in  his  hand.  In  the  distance  there  was 
the  tum-tumming  of  the  Nile-man's  drum  and  the  clearer 
note  of  the  bottle-and-key.  Overhead,  in  the  unbroken 
blue  of  the  November  sky,  birds  like  falcons  were  swirling 


A  WIFE  OUT   OF  EGYPT  15 

and  turning  in  the  sunlight.  Mother  and  daughter  met 
under  the  ancient  wood- work  of  the  long  pergola,  which 
had  turned  to  the  colour  of  grey  sandstone  under  the  fierce 
sun  of  Egypt. 

"  I  came  to  ask  you,  dear,  if  you  would  like  to  go  to 
'  Salome '  to-night  .  .  .  your  father  will  'phone  for  seats. 
Girgis  is  coming  to  dinner — he  could  go  with  us." 

There  was  silence  for  a  moment.  ,  .  .  Stella  had  never 
met  Girgis  Boutros,  her  full  cousin,  a  wealthy  young 
Syrian  cotton-farmer  of  the  Fayyum.  He  had  been 
visiting  some  freshly-acquired  property  in  Upper  Egypt. 

"  Of  course,  dearest,  I'd  like  to  go."  The  girl  spoke 
hurriedly  and  with  emphasis.  Her  mother  might  have 
thought  that  her  delay  in  answering  was  due  to  her  desire 
to  refuse.  "  I  was  just  wondering  how  I  shall  like  Girgis, 
what  I  shall  think  of  my  rich  cousin." 

'  He  is  remarkably  handsome." 

'  Is  he  at  all  like  Nicolas  t  " 

'  Oh,  no  !  " 

The  girl  looked  at  her  mother.     "  We  are  first  cousins  f  " 

'  Girgis  takes  after  his  father's  people." 

'  Is  he  like  father  at  all  ?  " 

Stella's  father  was  not  an  ordinary  Syrian  ;  he  was  of 
average  height  and  build,  with  almost  a  patriarchal  type 
of  feature.  His  eyes  and  the  shape  of  his  fine  head  stamped 
him  as  a  man  of  individuality  and  influence. 

"  In  looks  he  is  not  the  least  like  your  father  .  .  .  yet 
...  he  has  his  ability." 

"  What  is  he  like  1  "  Stella  was  wondering  how  he 
would  look  at  the  opera,  how  he  would  be  dressed,  and 
how  he  would  behave. 

"  He's  like  one  of  the  portraits  cut  in  relief  on  the  lime- 
stone walls  at  Abydos." 

"  They  are  portraits  of  Egyptians  ;  he's  a  Syrian." 

"  Only  on  his  mother's  side  ;  you  forget,  his  father  was 
a  Copt,  one  of  the  purest  of  all  the  Egyptian  types." 

"  Oh  !  "  Stella  said,  but  her  acclamation  was  expressive 
of  much  which  her  mother  understood. 

"Is  he  very  Eastern  f  " 

"  Yes,  very  ...  of  the  finest  type." 

"  You  see,  mum,  dear,  I  know  so  little  about  my  own 
people.  I've  been  almost  a  year  in  Egypt  and  I  have 
only  met  a  few." 

"  Scarcely  any,  dear."  She  took  her  daughter's  slender 
hand  in  hers  and  caressed  it.  "  Sometimes  I  wonder  if  I 
acted  unwisely,  Stella." 

For  a  moment  the  girl  thought  her  mother  referred  to 
her  own  marriage  with  her  father,  but  it  was  only  for  a 


18  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

moment ;  the  next  she  realized  that  she  was  alluding  to 
her  own  education  in  Europe,  to  the  wisdom  of  having 
cut  her  off  from  her  father's  people.  Stella  knew  that  her 
mother  had  cut  herself  off  from  her  own  people  when  she 
married  Nicolas  Lekejian,  but  she  had  thought,  until 
her  own  arrival  in  Cairo,  that  it  was  on  account  of  her 
mother's  refusal  to  marry  a  cousin  who  was  heir  to  the 
entailed  property  which  she  as  a  girl  could  not  inherit. 
As  Helen  Adair,  she  had  abhorred  him,  as  she  had  learnt 
to  abhor  her  people  for  wishing  to  marry  her  to  him,  and 
for  ignoring  the  husband  whom  she  loved.  So  their  name 
was  never  mentioned  by  her,  although  her  daughter  had 
used  her  mother's  maiden  name  during  her  upbringing 
in  England,  because  it  was  more  easily  pronounced  and 
saved  trouble. 

"  I'll  soon  get  to  know  and  love  them  all,"  Stella  said. 

The  eyes  of  Irish  blue,  which  were  still  as  bright  as 
Stella's  dark  ones,  smiled  eloquently.  "  Girgis  is  a  splendid 
fellow."  We'll  go  and  visit  his  home  in  the  Fayyum 
quite  soon.  I'd  like  you  to  see  how  modern  he  is  in  his 
ideas,  and  how  devoted  he  is  to  his  work.  I've  a  great 
admiration  for  Girgis." 

"  I'd  love  to  go  ;  the  Fayyum  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
of  the  ancient  oases,  isn't  it  t  And  Crocodilopolis  lies 
close  to  it  t  " 

"  Yes,  and  Lake  Moeris." 

"  Oh,"  Stella  said,  "  what  a  lot  there  is  to  see  !  .  .  . 
How  thankful  we  ought  to  be  that  we're  not  tourists  who 
have  to  '  do  it '  all  in  a  certain  length  of  time." 

The  words  built  up  a  silence  between  them  again,  for 
the  word  "  tourist  "  brought  to  the  girl's  mind  the  memory 
of  all  the  visitors  to  Egypt  she  had  seen  and  met  at  the 
two  social  functions  to  which  she  had  so  eagerly  gone  the 
winter  before  on  her  arrival — the  functions  at  which  she 
had  been  left  standing  by  her  mother's  side  as  though  she 
was  not  fit  to  be  introduced  to  the  moneyed  Americans 
and  brainless  English  women  who  fly  to  Egypt  every 
winter  merely  to  enjoy  the  balls  and  gaieties  which  are 
given  by  hotel-keepers.  Stella's  mother's  mind  was  work- 
ing in  the  same  direction.  She  was  recalling  the  look  of 
wonder  and  indignation  in  her  daughter's  eyes  when  the 
truth  of  the  situation  had  slowly  dawned  upon  her — that 
they  were  not  "  in  society "  in  Cairo,  that  the  "  right 
people  "  did  not  know  them — that  she,  Stella  Adair,  the 
spoilt  darling  of  Miss  MacNaughtan's  school,  that  she, 
Hadassah  Lekejian,  as  her  father  loved  to  call  her,  was 
not  received  by  the  relatives  of  the  very  girls  to  whom  she 
had  been  the  adored  "  Head  "  at  school.  In  Cairo  the 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  17 

same  families  who  had  thought  it  an  honour  to  entertain 
her  as  their  daughter's  schoolfellow  would  shrink  from  her 
in  her  own  home. 

The  mother  recalled  their  drive  together  after  the  recep- 
tion through  the  crowded  streets  of  Cairo,  ringing  with 
Oriental  yells  and  swarming  with  Oriental  loungers,  and 
across  the  Nile  bridge  with  its  multitudes  of  Eastern  races 
of  widely  different  types,  and  on  to  the  quieter  banks  of 
the  river,  where  the  tall  masts  of  the  native  boats  looked 
like  thickets  of  slender  trees  against  the  burning  glory  of 
the  setting  sun.  She  recalled  the  silence  of  the  girl,  how 
her  eyes  had  stared,  as  though  transfixed,  into  the  wild 
flames  which  branched  through  the  heavens  from  the 
sinking  sun. 

Not  one  word  had  been  spoken  by  mother  or  daughter 
during  that  drive,  not  one  word  had  been  said  since  in 
reference  to  that  afternoon.  But  it  was  the  last  social 
function  Stella  had  consented  to  attend. 

And  now  Mrs.  Lekejian  was  going  to  take  her  to  the 
opera,  she  was  going  to  crucify  her  again.  But  it  had  to 
be  done :  the  girl  must  know  everything  before  her  lover 
arrived. 

Stella  saw  her  father  coming  towards  them.  She  had 
not  got  accustomed  to  his  habitual  wearing  of  the  scarlet 
tarbush  which  every  one  employed  in  the  Khedivial  ser- 
vice in  Egypt  is  compelled  to  wear ;  Nicolas  Lekejian 
wore  his  at  all  times  and  in  all  places,  as  Syrians  and 
Egyptians  always  do.  Nicolas,  his  son,  always  wore  a 
European  hat.  As  he  approached  his  wife  and  daughter 
he  said,  "  I  can't  wait,  dear,  I  must  know  about  the  opera. 
Am  I  to  order  seats  t  " 

"  Oh,  yes  !  " — it  was  Stella  who  answered — "  we  want  to 
go  so  much." 

"  That's  all  I  wished  to  know,"  he  said.  "  I've  no  time 
for  talk."  He  unwound  his  daughter's  fingers  from  his 
left  wrist.  They  were  speaking  Arabic :  it  was  their 
custom  to  do  so  when  Nicolas  the  elder  was  present — 
Stella  said  it  was  the  effect  of  the  tarbush. 

"  Let  go,  temptress,"  he  said,  "  and  allow  your  father 
to  get  back  to  his  work." 

His  eyes  were  bright  with  the  pride  he  felt  .  .  .  like 
the  Esther  of  old  she  must  surely  "  obtain  favour  in  the 
sight  of  all  the  world." 

"  But  I  want  you  to  stay  :  do  stay  and  tell  me  about 
things  ;  almost  everything  I  see  needs  explaining  .  .  , 
even  yet." 

Her  father  was  pleased  that  she  should  desire  his  com- 
pany, but  he  remained  firm.  "  I  must  go,  Hadassah  ; 


18  A  WIFE  OUT  OP  EGYPT 

there  are  a  thousand  and  one  things  which  have  to  be  done 
before  lunch." 

She  lifted  her  retaining  fingers  from  his  wrist.  "  Then 
may  I  go  and  wander  about  alone  f  "  she  said  ..."  Can 
I  go  later  on  to  the  Market  of  the  Afternoon  !  " 

"  Take  Yehla." 

The  girl  frowned.  "  Can't  I  go  alone,  father  f  Can't  I 
be  free  t  .  .  .  It  isn't  like  the  bazaars :  the  market's 
quite  open,  it's  right  under  the  Citadel." 

"  Yehla  won't  interfere  t  " 

"  He  chatters  .  .  .  he's  there  ...  I  am  guarded  .  .  . 
Oh,  dad  !  " — she  broke  into  English — "  you  must  let  me 
go  out  alone.  I've  always  done  it  ...  even  at  school." 

"  You  can't  in  this  country." 

"  Why  not  t  " 

"  Mohammedans  don't  understand  any  freedom  for 
women." 

"  They  must  be  taught." 

"  Not  by  my  daughter." 

"  Is  it  only  the  Mohammedans  f  "  Her  eyes  searched 
his  for  the  truth.  "  Are  the  Christians  clean-mouthed, 
clean-minded  t  " 

He  remembered  that  she  could  understand  almost  all 
the  languages  spoken  in  Cairo  except  Greek  and  Persian. 

"  No,  unfortunately  not." 

"  Are  all  Orientals  the  same  t  " 

"  Generally  speaking,  yes."  He  saw  that  her  face  had 
changed,  her  soft  smiles  had  vanished.  She  remained 
silent. 

"  I'm  sorry,  Hadassah  ;  I  know  you  miss  your  freedom, 
but  I  couldn't  allow  it  ...  you  will  understand  better 
later  on  ;  take  Yehla  with  you  when  your  mother  can't  go." 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  "  I  will  take  Yehla  :  .  .  .  I  am  learn- 
ing very  quickly." 

At  the  end  of  the  grey  pergola  she  left  her  parents 
abruptly.  Her  mother  returned  to  the  house  with  her 
father.  When  they  were  out  of  sight,  in  a  sudden  fit  of 
remorse  for  the  coldness  in  her  voice  and  bearing,  Stella 
flung  herself  down  on  a  seat  of  white  marble,  and  put  her 
hands  before  her  eyes. 

She  had  to  shut  out  the  glory  of  the  East  from  her  sight, 
the  profusion  of  flowers  in  the  garden,  the  soaring  minarets 
in  the  distance  where  the  city  lay  bathed  in  light,  the 
turquoise -blue  of  the  fellahin's  jebbas,  the  whiteness  of 
their  turbaned  heads  :  she  put  her  thumbs  on  her  ears 
and  deadened  the  sound  of  the  ancient  call  to  prayer 
floating  over  the  land  like  a  message  from  heaven.  As 
the  praying  figures  rose  from  their  knees  and  the  Moham- 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  19 

medans  resumed  their  toil  of  drawing  water  from  the  sighing 
Bakiyas,  Stella  cried  : 

"  Is  it  all  sham  ?  Is  this  spirit  of  holiness  quite  hollow  t 
Is  the  East  really  polluted  ?  Is  that  why  the  English 
reject  us  1  "  She  thought  of  Italy,  of  Spain,  of  the  Latin 
countries  generally,  where  almost  the  same  restrictions 
for  women  prevail.  Even  in  these  countries  she  had  found 
it  difficult  to  walk  about  alone,  yet  they  were  different ! 
There  was  something  in  the  East  which  was  grosser,  some- 
thing which  was  wwelevated  by  romance,-  and  that  the 
grossness  was  not  restricted  to  the  Moslems  ;  who  have 
retained  the  ancient  opinion  of  the  chief  object  of  women — 
hurt  her  unspeakably. 

The  bitter  knowledge  had  come  to  her  during  these  nine 
strange  months,  that  if  her  father  had  been  a  follower  of 
Mohammed's  teachings  instead  of  Christ's,  he  would  have 
been  more  respected.  She  had  quickly  learnt  that  the 
Christian-English  in  Egypt  despise  the  Eastern-Christians, 
and  whether  they  had  not  a  right  to  despise  them  was  a 
question  she  was  afraid  to  ask  herself.  In  her  own  home 
her  father  would  have  none  but  Christian  servants,  Copts 
and  Syrians  and  Italians,  although  it  was  acknowledged 
that  her  father  in  his  business,  and  her  mother  in  her 
domestic  rule,  suffered  severely  from  the  fact.  "If  we  do 
not  employ  Christian  servants,"  Nicolas  Lekejian  had  often 
said  to  his  wife,  "  who  will  ?  And  until  they  are  employed 
as  universally  as  the  Mohammedans,  and  have  been  trusted 
for  as  many  generations  as  they  have  been  doubted,  they 
will  continue  to  live  up  to  the  bad  name  they  have  been 
given.  They  have  been  treated  like  criminals  for  centuries, 
they  have  been  despised  and  rejected  of  men  ;  what  can 
you  expect  ?  "  Until  the  era  of  English  rule  in  Egypt, 
Christians  were  compelled  to  wear  a  distinguishing  mark, 
which  precluded  them  from  enjoying  the  privileges  of 
ordinary  citizens  or  engaging  in  the  commerce  open  to  the 
Moslems.  They  suffered  humiliation  and  degradation, 
which  eventually  corrupted  their  natures  and  all  but  killed 
the  true  spirit  of  the  religion  to  which  they  have  so  tena- 
ciously clung  for  nineteen  centuries.  Its  beauty,  the 
spiritual  meaning  of  its  doctrines  has  hardly  survived 
centuries  of  bitter  wrongs. 

Stella  realised  that  the  Copts  in  Egypt  know  scarcely 
anything  about  Christ  or  His  teachings  ;  that  they  had 
clung  with  a  blind  adherence  to  the  dogmas  of  the  Church 
which  had  been  developed  out  of  Christ's  teachings  by 
His  disciples  in  the  first  centuries  after  His  death.  She 
knew  that  Coptic  customs  and  Coptic  ideas,  apart  from 
religious  matters,  are  almost  identical  with  those  of  the 


20  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

Mohammedans.  She  realised  that  their  moral  deteriora- 
tion, their  cringing  attitude  was  due  to  the  suffering  and 
oppression  they  had  endured  for  the  sake  of  a  depraved 
Christianity,  which  taught  them  less  about  Christ  than 
Mohammed  had  taught  his  followers  of  Christ. 

It  had  been  gall  and  wormwood  to  Stella's  soul  to  dis- 
cover that  her  father's  people  belonged  to  a  servile  race, 
a  mixed  race,  a  Semitic  race,  a  race  which  had  known 
oppressive  rulers  ever  since  the  Biblical  days  of  Assyrian 
and  Babylonian  invasions. 

She  realised  that  she  had  no  race  and  no  country  ;  for 
the  history  of  Syria  leaves  not  so  much  pure  blood  in  its 
people  as  the  history  of  Egypt,  where  the  Copts  are  the 
almost  undiluted  descendants  of  the  ancient  Egyptians. 
Up  till  now  she  had  looked  upon  Egypt  as  her  country  ; 
for  her  people  had  lived  there  for  many  generations,  and 
in  ancient  history  Syria  was  dependent  upon  Egypt  for 
a  very  long  period. 

The  attitude  of  the  English  rulers  of  the  land  towards 
the  Syrians  came  as  a  shock  to  her.  They  were  aliens 
and  undesirable  invaders  ;  they  were  called  Levantines  ! 

Her  thoughts  quickly  travelled  over  the  ancient  history 
of  her  own  land  to  the  time  when  the  Greeks  of  Autioch 
had  introduced  into  it  their  art  and  culture.  The  Syrians 
imbibed  the  higher  beauty  of  Greek  art,  which  was  rein- 
forced by  Roman  influence,  until  Christian  Syria  was  at 
one  time  the  seat  of  advanced  culture. 

"  In  those  days,"  Stella  said  to  herself,  "  Vernon's  people 
were  barbarians.  In  the  days  when  Damascus  and  Antioch 
were  famous  as  the  trading  centres  of  the  whole  world, 
the  Romans  were  thrusting  their  yoke  upon  the  half- 
savage  Britons."  Yet  these  very  people  amongst  whom 
she  had  been  reared,  and  whom  she  had  learnt  to  love,  were 
opening  her  eyes  to  the  fact  that  the  ancient  races  of  the 
world — the  races  who  had  given  it  its  first  civilisation  and 
culture — were  unclean. 

She  knew  that  in  her  own  nature  there  was,  mixed  up 
with  the  Eastern  blood  of  her  father,  the  Celtic  blood  of  her 
mother.  The  independence  of  the  Irish  race  was  very 
strong  in  her  ;  its  revolutionary  spirit  had  more  dominating 
qualities  than  the  servile  nature  of  her  oft-conquered 
forefathers. 

To-night  she  would  meet  her  cousin  Girgis  Boutros  for 
the  first  time  ;  to-night  she  would  realise  how  wholly  apart 
from  the  British  she  was  in  Cairo,  how  closely  linked  to 
the  native  life  of  Egypt — for  Girgis  Boutros  was  unin- 
fluenced by  Western  thought.  Save  for  his  knowledge 
of  the  English  language,  learnt  for  commercial  purposes 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  21 

at  the  Coptic  school  in  the  Fayyum,  and  his  faultlessly 
cut  clothes,  he  was  free  from  the  affectations  of  the  wealthy 
Copts,  who  would  gladly  be  mistaken  for  English. 

CHAPTER  V 

STELLA  was  waiting  in  the  drawing-room  of  her  mother's 
house  for  the  arrival  of  her  cousin  Girgis  Boutros.  Her 
brother  was  with  her.  She  was  playing  over  the  very 
difficult  composition  he  had  shown  her  in  the  garden. 
He  was  standing  behind  her,  looking  over  her  shoulder. 

"  It's  awfully  difficult ;  you  must  have  patience,"  she  said. 

"  You  make  me  realise  it :  for  if  difficult  to  you,  I'm 
afraid  it's  hopeless  for  ordinary  people." 

She  had  turned  round  to  speak  to  him,  and  had  seen  his 
look,  expressive  of  admiration.  "  Play  it  over  to  me,"  she 
said,  "  so  as  to  give  me  the  '  feeling  '  of  it." 

Nicolas  sat  down  on  the  piano -stool  which  she  had 
vacated. 

He  played  over  his  composition  with  expression  and 
charm,  but  with  little  execution. 

"  It's  delightful,"  Stella  said — "  perfectly  delightful 
It's  full  of  the  East.  How  did  you  get  it  ?  " 

"  I  can  play  to  you,"  he  said,  "  and  to  people  I'm  in 
sympathy  with  ;  but  I'm  no  pianist :  when  I  sit  down  in 
front  of  business  men  or  critics  I  can't  play  a  note." 

"  Let  me  play  it  again,"  she  said  affectionately. 

He  took  her  two  hands  in  his  and  made  her  face  him. 
"  Let  me  look  at  you,  Stella  .  .  .  that  dress  is  charming  ; 
you  are  charming  to-night." 

"  Do  you  like  it  ?  "  she  said.  "  I'm  so  glad — it's  very 
simple." 

He  laughed.  "  I  know  that  kind  of  simplicity — it 
belongs  to  the  Rue  de  la  Paix.  I  mean  it's  certainly  not 
Levantine  !  " 

Her  soft  mouth  hardened.  "  I  hope  not.  Do  I  look 
Levantine  1  " 

"  Don't.  .  .  ."  He  put  his  arm  round  her.  "  You 
mustn't  get  bitter,  Stella — it  isn't  worth  it." 

"  Wh£vt  isn't  ?  " 

"  The  opinion  of  the  British  !  " 

"  Vernon  is  British." 

Nicolas  did  nor  answer. 

"  You  like  them  ?  You  admire  them  in  spite  of  their 
treatment  of  us  ?  " 

"  Not  wholesale  .  .  .  not  their  prejudices." 

"  What,  then  I  " 


22  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

"  Their  honour  .  .  .  their  justice,  their  clean-minded- 
ness,  their  dislike  of  intrigue." 

The  door  opened. 

Girgis  Boutros  was  shown  in.  He  was  in  exquisitely 
cut  evening  dress.  His  tarbush  of  bright  scarlet  set  of! 
the  brilliance  of  his  splendid  eyes  ;  its  straight  line  increased 
the  statuesqueness  of  his  strong  and  clearly  moulded 
features  ;  its  colour  threw  up  the  glitter  of  his  perfect 
teeth  and  curly  black  hair,  cut  very  short.  It  was  dry, 
stubborn  hair,  expressive  of  an  active  temperament. 

Stella  thought  she  had  never  seen  any  living  creature 
so  nearly  perfect  in  figure  and  feature.  Beside  him 
Nicolas  looked  French  and  delicate. 

Mrs.  Lekejian  followed  her  nephew  into  the  room.  She 
was  anxious  to  see  the  effect  his  appearance  would  have 
upon  her  daughter. 

The  introduction  took  place  in  Arabic. 

Girgis  said,  "  How  do  you  do  ?  "  in  stilted  English 
to  Stella. 

The  girl  laughed.  "  Why  do  you  speak  to  me  in  Eng- 
lish f  " 

"  Because,"  he  said,  "  you  are  to  me  so  very  English, 
if  you  please." 

Stella  said  to  herself,  "  And  you  are  to  me  so  very 
Eastern,  so  strangely  Eastern,  if  you  please." 

Though  dressed  in  European  clothes  as  "  up  to  date  " 
as  could  be  bought,  he  was  like  one  of  the  portraits  of 
Seti  I.  on  the  white  walls  of  his  temple  at  Abydos. 

"  Well,"  she  said,  "  if  I  find  I  can  speak  Arabic  better 
than  you  can  speak  English,  I  shall  be  generous,  and  let 
you  practise  your  English  when  you  speak  to  me." 

"Thank  you  very  much,"  he  said  deferentially,  "but 
I  would  like  to  speak  in  my  own  language,  if  you  please." 

"  Why  t  "  Stella  said.    ' 

"  Because  it  is  more  beautiful  for  expressing  my 
feelings." 

"  You  are  right,"  she  said.  "  Even  I  feel  the  want  in 
English  of  the  hundred  inflections  we  have  in  Arabic  for 
one  word.  In  Arabic  you  can  express  any  degree  of  feeling 
you  wish  by  the  different  use  of  the  one  word  ;  in  English, 
we  have  to  qualify  it  with  adjectives." 

"  That  is  why,"  he  said,  "  I  think  you  have  no  poetry, 
in  English  ...  no  poetry,  at  least,  that  I  have  read  :  " 
he  added  the  last  words  apologetically. 

Nicolas  chimed  in.     "  It's  the  same  thing  in  music, 
used  to  think  the  ancient  Arab  music  was  grotesque.     I 
remember  the  first  time  I  heard  a  famous  Arab  tenor. 
I   had  just  returned  from   Paris.     I  couldn't  hide  my 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  23 

laughter  .  .  .  now  I  know  that  it  was  my  own  ignor- 
ance ;  he's  wonderful  !  " 

"  Oh  !  "  Stella  said  impulsively,  "  I  do  want  to  hear 
some  good  Arab  singer.  I  want  to  go  to  the  Arab  theatre. 
May  I  !  " 

"  Certainly  you  will  go  " — it  was  Girgis  who  spoke — 
"  if  you  please." 

"  And  I  want  to  have  an  Arab  dinner." 

"  Certainly  you  must  have  it,  if  you  please." 

As  they  spoke  it  gave  Stella  pleasure  to  watch  his  flash- 
ing eyes,  like  black  agate,  his  dazzling  teeth,  the  fine 
contour  of  his  pillar-like  throat.  Yet  with  all  his  Eastern 
glow  of  colour,  she  felt  the  strange  immobility  of  his  counte- 
nance, characteristic  of  his  Oriental  blood. 

Watching  him,  she  was  saying  to  herself,  "  He  is  my  full 
cousin,  my  father's  sister's  child,  yet  I  feel  that  he  should 
have  a  label  stuck  on  him,  and  be  standing  on  a  pedestal  in 
the  Cairo  Museum."  Girgis  was  nevertheless  very  much  a 
living  piece  of  youthful  manhood,  a  manhood  of  mysterious 
passions  and  powers.  Vernon,  her  lover,  belonged  to  the 
race  of  people  who  despised  Orientals  like  Girgis. 

At  dinner  Girgis  sat  next  to  her,  but  he  spoke  very  little. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  meal,  however,  she  was  surprised 
by  the  unexpected  intuition  he  showed  ;  for  he  suddenly 
came  out  of  his  stone-like  reserve  to  say  :  "  I  prefer  to 
remain  silent  than  to  distress  you." 

"But  why  should  you  distress  me  ?  " 

"  By  talking  to  you  of  less  interesting  things  than  your 
thoughts  afford  you." 

"  You  are  too  modest :  all  that  you  have  told  me  is 
very  interesting.  I  wish  you  would  tell  me  more  about 
your  work." 

"  It  is  not  so  interesting  as  your  thoughts.  I  see  that 
your  mind  is  saying  very  much,  your  eyes  speak  .  .  . 
everything  yet  is  strange  to  you." 

"  Yes,  everything  is  very  strange." 

"  I  am  one  of  the  many  strange  things."  Only  his  eyes 
»miled  :  his  skin,  which  was  tanned  to  an  indescribable 
hue  by  desert  suns,  became  a  little  warmer.  "  But  do 
not  forget,  if  you  please,  that  you  are  also  strange." 

"  To  you  !  " 

"  To  me.  When  I  look  at  you  I  have  to  say  to  myself  : 
She  is  my  cousin,  Hadassah  Lekejian." 

"  I  am  called  Stella  in  England." 

"  Stella  !  "  he  said—"  It  is  pretty.  What  is  Stella,  if 
you  please  f  " 

"  Stella  means  a  star  ;  Esther  means  the  planet  Venus  ; 
I  think." 


24  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

"  That  is  beautiful,"  he  said  ;  he  looked  at  her  as  much 
as  to  say,  "  Everything  about  you  is  beautiful."  "  In 
the  East  we  study  the  stars  .  .  .  they  guide  us." 

"  Have  you  ever  heard  of  Swift  t  "  Stella  asked. 

"  Swift  t  No."  He  looked  puzzled.  "  Swift  means 
very  fast,  does  it  not  1  " 

Swift  was  the  name  of  a  great  English  writer  who 
loved  a  girl  called  Esther  Vanhomrigh ;  he  called  her 
Stella." 

"  The  man  who  will  marry  you  will  call  you  Stella  1  " 

"  He  does." 

The  strong  face  betrayed  no  sign  of  surprise,  yet  the 
girl's  words  were  wholly  unexpected.  Girgis  Boutros  had 
not  heard  of  his  cousin's  engagement :  he  was  over  head 
and  ears  in  love  with  her  at  first  sight,  and  prepared  to 
ask  his  uncle's  permission  to  marry  her  as  goon  as  dinner 
was  over. 

"  You  are  affianced  t  " 

"  Yes — engaged,  as  we  call  it." 

"  And  you  will  be  married  soon  ?  " 

"  No,  not  yet ;  not  for  a  year,  perhaps  more." 

"  But  how  can  he  wait  t  He  has  seen  you  t  "  (The 
strict  Copts  do  not  see  their  affianced  brides.) 

Stella  smiled.  "  Yes,  he  has  seen  me  ;  in  England  we 
do  not  marry  men  whom  we  have  never  seen — engage- 
ments often  last  more  than  a  year.  Englishmen  are  taught 
patience  :  they  can  wait." 

"  He  is  English  t  "  He  pronounced  it  Eengleah.  There 
was  surprise  in  his  voice,  surprise  expressive  of  annoyance. 

"  Yes,  he  is  an  English  soldier." 

"  And  he  loves  you  t  " 

The  girl  laughed.     "  I  hope  so  ;  why  do  you  ask  1  " 

"  The  English  are  strange." 

"  I  don't  find  them  so,"  she  said.  "  Couldn't  you  wait 
one  year  for  some  one  whom  you  loved  very  much  t  " 

"  Could  I  wait  t  "  he  said  quietly.  "  Yes,  I  could  wait 
seven  years,  like  Jacob,  but  I  would  follow  her,  I  would 
follow  my  star."  His  eyes  flashed  with  quickly  kindled 
passion,  but  his  features  remained  immobile. 

"  Englishmen  trust  their  women,  they  need  not  follow 
them  ;  we  prefer  to  know  each  other  intimately  before  we 
marry." 

"  They  are  not  very  wise,"  he  said.  "  I  see  much  un- 
happiness  in  the  papers.  I  read  the  divorces.  The 
English  are  brave,  but  not  wise  ;  they  learnt  much  civilisa- 
tion from  the  East,  but  not  wisdom  ;  they  have  never 
learnt  wisdom  or  philosophy  !  " 

Stella   laughed.     While   they   spoke   she   watched    hia 


A  WIFE   OUT  OF  EGYPT  25 

manners  at  table  .  .  .  they  were  perfect,  and  his  hands 
were  so  beautiful  that  it  gave  her  pleasure  to  let  him  prepare 
her  fruit  for  her.  "  Why  do  you  read  the  English 
divorces  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  I  wish  to  practise  my  English,  and  they  interest  me 
very  much." 

"  And  the  divorces,  are  they  more  interesting  than 
novels  t  " 

"  Novels  f      If  you  please,  what  are  they  1  " 

"  Romances,  love  stories  I  mean." 

He  laughed  outright  for  the  first  time  ;  it  was  not  the 
frank  laugh  of  an  Englishman,  but  the  cynical  amusement 
of  a  philosopher.  "  Love  stories  I  "  They  are  only  fairy 
tales  written  for  children  or  for  nuns  ;  the  English  do  not 
believe  in  them  themselves  ;  they  are  not  for  men.  When 
I  wish  to  learn  something  about  home  life  in  England  I 
read  the  divorces." 

"  Divorces  break  up  home  life,  they  do  not  make  it," 
Stella  said  laughingly. 

"  It  seems  strange  to  you  .  .  .  who  have  been  brought 
up  in  England.  .  .  .  Out  here  we  know  what  the  English 
are  ;  we  hear  from  the  divorce  courts  what  they  are  in 
their  own  country." 

Stella's  back  went  up  ..."  Yes,"  she  said,  "  you 
ought  to  know  what  they  are,  considering  what  they  have 
done  for  us." 

"  What  have  they  done  for  us,  if  you  please  !  " 

"  What  have  they  not  done  for  all  Egypt,  Christian 
and  Moslem  t  " 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  offend,  if  you  please  .  .  .  for  you  are 
affianced  to  an  Englishman.  I  do  not  discuss  the  politics 
with  women." 

He  was  a  stone  image  once  more. 

"  You  have  not  offended,"  Stella  said,  "  but  I  hate 
ingratitude,  and  in  England  women  discuss  politics  .  .  . 
they  will  soon  become  active  politicians." 

"  But  we  will  not  discuss  it,  if  you  please  ;  you  have  only 
been  a  short  time  in  this  country."  He  spoke  with  the 
»ir  of  a  man  who  expected  to  be  obeyed. 

"  It  would  not  matter  how  long  I  lived  here,"  she  said — 
her  temper  was  rising — "  it  could  not  alter  facts.  The 
English  have  given  us  everything.  Have  all  the  Christians 
as  well  as  the  Moslem  fellahin  forgotten  the  abuses  they 
suffered,  the  injustices  they  endured,  the  unspeakable 
ivrongs  that  were  thrust  upon  them  ?  " 

She  looked  at  him  for  an  answer. 

He  raised  his  eyes  slowly  ;  his  thick  lashes  brushed  his 
cheeks  in  a  way  Stella  had  never  seen  eye-lashes  do  before  ; 


26  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

in  his  glance  there  was  burning  scorn  and  hate.  "  They 
gave  to  us  every  good  thing,"  he  said,  "  but  the  best  thing 
of  all,  that  they  will  never  give." 

"  What  have  they  not  given  us  t  " 

"  Love,"  he  said.     "  Tl.ey  have  not  given  us  love." 

Stella  was  silent. 

He  was  still  burning  her  with  his  eyes.  "  I  once  went  to 
the  English  church,"  he  said.  "  The  priest  spoke  all  of 
'  love.'  He  said,  '  God  is  love  .  .  .'  he  said,  '  Love  ye 
one  another.  .  .  .'  Out  of  church  I  have  not  seen  that 
love  from  any  English  :  if  they  had  any  for  us  they  would 
understand  us." 

"  You  think  if  the  English  loved  us  they  would  under- 
stand us  t  " 

"  Yes,"  he  said  ;  "  but  the  English  do  not  try." 

"  Hadassah  !  " 

It  was  Stella's  father  who  spoke.  "  You  must  not 
linger  if  you  wish  to  be  in  the  house  when  the  curtain  goes 
up." 

"  I  don't  want  to  miss  a  moment  of  it,"  she  said, 
as  she  rose  from  her  chair.  With  a  smile  to  her  cousin, 
she  left  the  room  with  her  mother.  Girgis  Boutros  sud- 
denly felt  that  the  door  had  closed  between  light  and 
darkness. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  opera-house  was  full  when  Hadassah  Lekejian  entered 
it  with  her  mother  and  cousin.  Her  father  and  brother 
were  already  in  their  box. 

As  she  took  her  place  many  heads  were  turned  to  look 
at  her,  for  the  overture  was  almost  finished,  and  from  the 
stalls  the  English  officers  and  men  had  inspected,  with 
their  glasses,  the  occupants  of  the  various  boxes  :  they  were 
glad  of  a  fresh  arrival. 

The  residents  they  knew  by  sight,  and  many  of  the 
visitors,  for  they  had  attended  some,  if  not  all,  of  the  various 
hotel  dances  which  had  just  commenced  in  Cairo. 

A  man,  himself  a  visitor,  asked  his  companion,  an 
engineer  on  the  State  railways,  who  the  beautiful  girl  was. 

The  engineer  looked  at  her  through  his  glasses.  "  Don't 
know,"  he  said ;  "  yes  I  do,  though — wait  a  minute — - 
that's  young  Boutros  ;  he's  a  Copt,  a  cotton  magnate,  and 
that's  his  uncle,  Nicolas  Lekejian,  and  his  wife  ;  she's  an 
Irish  woman.  They're  among  the  best  Syrians  in  Cairo  ; 
the  old  chap's  an  awfully  decent  sort  .  .  .  and  that  giil 
must  be  his  daughter  ;  I  heard  she  had  come  home." 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  27 

The  stranger  was  silent ;  then  he  asked,  after  looking 
at  Stella  again  :  "  Do  you  know  them  ?  " 
'  Yes,  slightly  ...  in  business  only." 
1  You  don't  know  the  family  ?  " 

'  No,  I  once  met  the  son,  an  awfully  cultivated  chap." 
'  Won't  that  girl  know  any  one  in  Cairo  t  " 
'  If  by  that  you  mean  the  English  or  best  French  .  .  . 
no." 

The  stranger  was  silent,  but  his  glasses  did  not  leave  the 
girl's  face  ...  he  knew  that  she  could  not  see  him.  After 
watching  her  expression  very  carefully  he  turned  his  glasses 
upon  the  occupants  of  the  other  boxes  and  then  inspected 
the  stalls.  There  were  certainly  one  or  two  very  pretty 
girls  in  the  house,  but  there  was  not  another  woman  with 
Iladassah  Lekejian's  elegance  or  distinction.  Never  had 
he  seen  such  clear  eyes  or  such  a  transparent  skin.  She 
had  taken  her  place  by  her  mother,  her  cousin  was  seated 
on  the  other  side  of  her,  Nicolas  and  his  father  were  stand- 
ing behind  them.  He  noticed  that  during  the  performance 
the  occupants  of  Stella's  box  had  ears  and  eyes  for  nothing 
but  the  opera  itself.  Even  the  cotton  magnate,  who  looked 
a  hundred  times  more  Eastern  than  his  cousin,  never  took 
his  eyes  off  the  artistes.  But  in  the  interval  (he  was  watch- 
ing the  girl  very  closely)  he  could  see  her  rapid  survey  of 
the  house,  he  could  almost  feel  the  sense  of  aloofness  she 
felt  from  her  fellow  women.  He  leaned  forward,  and  for 
a  moment  their  eyes  met !  .  .  .  All  her  life  Hadassah 
was  to  remember  that  look. 

Girgis  Boutros  was  enjoying  himself  amazingly.  He  had 
never  before  been  in  such  near  contact  or  talked  so  freely 
to  a  young  girl.  He  was  an  only  son  and  all  his  relations 
on  his  father's  side  were  old-fashioned  Copts,  who  kept 
their  women-kind  as  carefully  secluded  and  as  veiled  as 
Moslems.  He  had  therefore  only  spoken  to  his  mother 
and  his  aunt.  To  sit  by  Hadassah's  side,  to  be  the  recipient 
of  her  smiles  and  intelligent  conversation,  was  almost  more 
than  his  easily  excited  nature  could  stand.  To  Hadassah 
he  looked  like  a  statue  carved  in  granite,  with  the  glass 
eyes  which  the  early  sculptors  gave  to  their  heads  ...  to 
himself  he  felt  like  a  thing  of  flaming  fire.  He  longed  to 
burst  into  poetry,  to  recite  to  her  verses  from  Persian 
songs  which  expressed  his  admiration  of  her  looks. 

In  a  box  opposite  to  their  own  there  was  his  mother,  a 
beautiful  woman,  of  a  very  classic  type,  dressed  in  an  expen- 
sive Parisian  model  gown.  She  was  Hadassah's  father's 
sister,  but  she  had  not  Nicolas  Lekejian's  intelligent  and 
very  noble  cast  of  features.  Her  face,  for  all  its  classic 
contour,  was  touched  with  the  indolence  and  sensuality 


28  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

of  the  East.  During  the  second  interval  Stella  noticed 
that  her  aunt's  box  became  full  of  visitors  from  all  parts 
of  the  house,  Greeks,  Italians,  and  Syrians. 

"  Levantines"  the  engineer  in  the  stalls  styled  them  all. 
It  was  then  that  he  pointed  out  to  his  companion  the 
impossibility  of  knowing  people  like  the  Lekejian's  in- 
timately. "  You  let  yourself  in  for  knowing  '  Levantines  ' 
like  these,"  he  said,  "  and  they're  impossible." 

His  words  expressed  Hadassah's  feelings.  Girgis, 
amused  and  interested  her  with  his  un-English  ways  of 
looking  at  things,  and  his  very  English  way  of  wearing 
his  clothes  .  .  .  but  her  aunt's  friends  were  impossible. 
Were  they  the  people  she  ought  to  know  t  Were  they  the 
only  people  who  would  accept  her  in  this  cruel  land  ! 
Their  elaborate  dresses  of  gorgeous  brocades,  their  crude 
jewellery,  their  too  ample  figures,  and,  worst  of  all,  the 
expression  of  their  eyes  and  mouths,  disgusted  her. 
Stella  thought  of  her  own  mouth  :  she  would  rather  it 
went  hard  and  sour  with  the  bitterness  of  the  cup  that 
was  now  almost  always  between  her  lips  than  that  it  should 
become  loose  and  coarse  like  those  of  the  over-dressed, 
over-fed  women  in  her  aunt's  box.  Her  aunt  looked  a 
refined  lady  beside  them — still,  they  were  her  friends. 
Then  Stella  asked  herself,  if  her  aunt  had  refused  to  have 
these  people  for  her  friends  whom  else  would  she  have  had 
.  .  .  what  friends  had  her  mother  t 

Not  one  soul  in  this  crowded  house,  in  this  opera-house, 
where  she  had  rented  a  box  ever  since  she  had  come  as  a 
bride  to  Cairo  with  Nicolas  Lekejian,  knew  her  well  enough 
to  pay  her  a  friendly  visit  between  the  acts.  She  had  not 
one  drop  of  Eastern  blood  in  her  veins,  and  she  looked 
beautiful  and  youthful  in  her  white  lace  gown  and  brilli- 
antly hued  Persian  scarf — but  she  was  an  outcast ! 

Hadassah  could  have  screamed  with  shame,  and  yet 
she  realised  the  distance  by  which  her  father's  people  were 
removed  from  the  people  of  the  Western  world. 

Girgis  Boutros  said,  "  Do  you  know  my  mother  t  " 

"  No,"  Stella  said.  "  When  I  was  a  little  girl  I  may  have 
met  her,  but  I  don't  remember  her." 

"  Will  you  allow  me  to  introduce  you  to  her,  if  you 
please  t  " 

Stella  hesitated  and  looked  at  her  own  mother.  Girgis 
thought  she  meant  to  imply  that  she  could  not  go  alone 
with  him  to  his  mother's  box.  "  I  will  ask  your  mother  ; 
she  will  come  too,  if  you  please." 

"  No,  don't  ask  her,"  Stella  said  :  "  I  will  meet  your 
mother  another  time  .  .  .  not  to-night,  I  like  talking  to 
you  best." 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  29 

He  noted  the  anxiety  in  her  voice,  but  he  did  not  betray 
his  understanding  of  it.  "  If  you  please,"  he  said  ;  but 
my  mother  would  be  very  happy  to  see  her  brother's  child 
and  introduce  you  to  her  friends." 

Stella  could  not  gather  from  his  way  of  speaking  whether 
he  meant  to  annoy  her  or  to  be  polite  to  her,  and  he  did 
not  mean  that  she  should  !  He  knew  exactly  what  was 
passing  in  his  beautiful  cousin's  miud  about  his  mother's 
friends.  He  himself  had  no  love  for  them,  indeed  he  knew 
very  few  of  them.  In  his  opinion  they  were  stupid  and 
vulgar,  but  he  resented  what  he  termed  Hadassah's  English 
attitude  towards  all  things  which  were  not  British. 

Stella  did  her  utmost  to  be  cheerful  between  the  acts, 
and  succeeded  so  well  that  even  Nicolas  thought  she  was 
enjoying  herself.  He  knew  that  his  cousin  was  much 
more  Oriental  in  his  opinion  of  women  than  he  or  his  father 
were,  and  he  had  been  just  a  little  anxious  to  know  how 
he  would  conduct  himself  for  the  long  hours  he  would 
spend  in  Stella's  company. 

But  his  mind  had  soon  been  set  completely  at  rest  by 
Girgis's  attitude  of  respectful  admiration. 

In  the  middle  of  the  longest  interval  the  Khedive  and 
his  suite  entered  the  house.  The  house  rose  to  its  feet  to 
greet  him,  and  remained  standing  until  he  was  seated. 
The  orchestra  played  the  Khedivial  anthem.  Only  one 
figure  in  the  house  remained  seated  ;  he  was  the  leader  of 
the  advanced  Nationalist  party.  So  public  an  act  of 
disrespect  and  disloyalty  could  not  be  allowed  to  pass 
unnoticed,  and  later  on  Stella  heard  that  the  Minister  of 
Foreign  Affairs,  who  was  in  the  house,  had  sent  for  him  and 
upbraided  him  for  his  behaviour,  and  that  the  Nationalist 
leader  had  insolently  replied  that  no  law  obliged  him  to  rise 
if  he  wished  to  remain  seated,  and  had  refused  to  apologise. 

The  minister  had  thereupon  ordered  him  to  leave  the 
house,  which  he  did. 

Hadassah's  father  was  furious.  Girgis  was  wholly 
indifferent.  .  .  .  Stella  was  completely  puzzled. 

But  why  should  he  insult  the  Khedive  I  "  Stella 
said  "  He's  not  English  !  " 

"  The  Khedive  recognises  English  rule  in  Egypt  and 
uses  his  influence  to  help  that  rule.  He  is  contented  to 
be  a  puppet  in  their  hands." 

"  I  see,"  she  said.  "  Egypt  for  the  Egyptians  extends 
uven  to  the  Khedive."  She  was  wondering  if  the  Syrians 
and  all  other  Christians  would  be  ousted  from  the  land 
with  the  English  when  the  time  came,  or  if  the  Copts  would 
still  be  wanted  to  do  the  brain-work  and  the  art-work 
and  the  dirty  work  of  the  country,  as  she  had  disco  ve  red 


30  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

they  had  always  done  ever  since  the  days  when  the  Arabs 
invaded  the  land  and  brought  into  it  the  teachings  of  the 
Prophet.  For  the  Arabs  brought  nothing  with  them 
but  their  war-like  qualities  and  their  art-destroying 
religion. 

She  turned  to  her  cousin,  whose  face  told  her  nothing 
of  what  he  was  thinking.  "  I  know  more  about  Home  Rule 
for  Ireland,"  she  said,  "  than  Home  Rule  for  Egypt.  I 
feel  I'm  not  qualified  to  speak,  but  the  Egyptians  do  seem 
to  me  even  less  capable  of  managing  their  own  affaira 
than  the  Irish.  Why  can't  they  be  contented  with  the 
peace  and  prosperity  the  English  have  given  them  t  " 

Girgis  thought  for  a  moment.  "  You  are  affianced  to 
an  English  soldier,  if  you  please." 

"  Yes,"  Stella  said,  "  what  has  that  to  do  with  it  !  " 

"  Will  you  ask  him  this  question  :  If  the  German 
nation  invaded  England  and  conquered  it,  and  made  it 
many  times  more  prosperous  than  it  is  now,  if  they  improved 
the  lives  of  the  working  classes,  if  they  taught  England  all 
the  wonderful  things  that  are  done  in  Germany  for  educa- 
tion and  for  the  industrial  life  of  the  people,  would  England 
be  so  grateful  to  them  that  she  would  like  to  keep  them 
there  for  ever,  would  she  delight  to  sing  their  national 
anthems  1  Would  England  honour  one  of  her  own  people 
if  he  were  contented  to  be  a  nominal  king  under  German 
rule  t  " 

Stella  did  not  answer.  Fortunately  for  her,  the  curtain 
went  up  for  the  last  act. 

Shortly  after  this  unpleasant  incident  the  British  Agent's 
wife  entered  her  box — it  was  almost  opposite  the  Lekejians. 
A  number  of  people  came  with  her,  officers  in  full-dress 
uniforms  and  civilians  wearing  ribbons  and  orders.  Evi- 
dently there  had  been  a  dinner-party  at  the  British  Agent's 
house.  After  they  had  taken  their  seats  Stella  suddenly 
recognised  one  of  the  party  as  a  man  she  had  danced  with 
many  times  at  balls  in  Norfolk.  She  bowed  to  him  and 
received  in  return  a  bow  and  a  warm  smile.  He  seemed 
delighted  to  see  her  and  showed  very  plainly  that  he  meant 
to  come  and  speak  to  her.  Presently  she  saw  him  whispei 
to  a  lady  next  to  him,  one  of  the  most  stiff-necked  of  the 
English  residents  ;  the  lady  turned  her  eyes  to  Stella's 
box  while  she  spoke.  Stella  knew  she  was  discussing  her. 
From  that  moment  the  man  never  looked  at  her  again 
during  the  performance. 

But  that  was  not  the  finish  of  the  evening's  entertain- 
ment, nor  the  end  of  Stella's  mortification  ;  for  Girgis 
Boutros,  knowing  that  she  wished  to  eat  an  Arab  meal  in 
an  Arab  restaurant,  begged  his  aunt  to  allow  him  to  leave 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  31 

the  opera  before  the  performance  was  finished  and  go  to 
the  high-class  Arab  restaurant  which  he  often  frequented, 
and  order  a  special  supper,  one  which  Stella  would  enjoy. 

Stella  was  delighted  at  the  idea,  so  her  mother  agreed. 
Where  there  were  no  English  to  wound  her  pride  Stella 
felt  that  she  might  enjoy  a  purely  native  evening  in 
characteristic  surroundings. 

So  Girgis  went  on  ahead,  and  if  Stella  could  have  heard 
the  orders  he  gave  to  the  cook  and  the  owner  of  the  place, 
ehe  certainly  would  have  enjoyed  herself ;  they  sounded 
like  some  passage  out  of  the  Koran,  so  deferentially  were 
they  received,  and  so  solemnly. 

When  the  party  arrived  the  servants  salaamed  to  the 
ground.  They  scarcely  dared  raise  their  eyes,  yet  they 
wondered  how  any  one  so  beautiful  could  be  so  impure 
and  so  bold  as  to  uncover  her  face  in  public  ;  how  any  one 
with  the  eyes  of  a  gazelle  could  be  so  familiar  with  men, 
other  than  her  father  and  brother,  as  to  dine  with  them. 

Girgis  had  chosen  the  best  and  most  secluded  table  in 
the  room.  He  was  very  nervous,  in  case  Stella  would 
not  think  the  supper  nice  enough,  but  it  was  all  that  money 
could  procure  on  so  short  a  notice. 

As  there  were  no  other  guests  in  the  room  they  had  the 
entire  attention  of  the  waiters.  They  sat  at  long  tables 
spread  with  white  cloths,  but  they  had  no  knives  and  forks 
or  plates.  Everything  had  to  be  eaten  with  their  fingers, 
a  process  which  Stella  soon  discovered  was  not  nearly 
so  disagreeable  as  she  imagined,  for  the  meat,  of  whatsoever 
kind  it  might  be,  was  cut  up  into  small  pieces,  and  piled 
lightly  on  the  top  of  water-cress  or  parsley.  The  large 
dish  containing  it  was  placed  in  the  centre  of  the  table. 
Each  person  was  given  a  round  scone  of  bread  (like  a 
Scotch  harvester's  bap),  which  was  hollow  when  the  top 
if  it  was  torn  off.  These  scones  serve  as  pockets  for  the 
poor,  who  purchase  their  edibles  ready  cooked  in  the  street. 
At  table  they  act  as  plates  and  knives  and  forks. 

It  was  Girgis  who  showed  Stella  how  to  help  herself  to 
a  piece  of  deliciously  savoury  grilled  meat,  from  the 
centre  dish,  with  the  assistance  of  a  piece  of  bread.  She 
had  to  be  careful  only  to  use  the  third  finger  and  the 
thumb.  When  she  had  successfully  carried  the  morsel 
from  the  centre  of  the  table  to  her  own  scone  she  had  to 
dip  it  in  one  of  the  four  small  dishes  of  appetising  sauces, 
placed  in  front  of  her.  It  was  great  fun,  and  the  food  was 
BO  delicious  that  Stella  ate  heartily  and  forgot  her  troubles. 

Very  soon  the  room  filled  up. 

Arabs  came  in  and  greeted  one  another  in  the  stately 
Arab  way — and  the  Copts  as  well  as  the  Moslems  washed 


32  A  WIFE  OUT  OP  EGYPT 

at  the  fountain  in  the  court  which  led  off  the  dining-hall, 
before  sitting  down  to  their  meals.  It  was  a  pretty  sight, 
the  beautiful  dresses  of  the  natives  lending  colour  to  the 
scene.  There  was  a  great  deal  of  etiquette  observed  even 
amongst  quite  young  men  who  had  evidently  come  to 
enjoy  themselves.  Stella  had  been  so  engrossed  with  the 
arrival  of  a  new  course  that  she  had  not  noticed  a  party 
of  Europeans  enter  the  building.  A  tall  screen  hid  the 
table  at  which  they  had  quietly  seated  themselves.  It 
was  the  next  one  to  their  own,  and  near  the  door. 

Presently  her  ear  caught  English  voices  ;  some  one  was 
answering  a  question. 

"  Yes,  when  you  get  pure  Arabs  they're  all  right ;  the 
unspoilt  desert  Arabs  are  hard  to  beat  for  honour  as  well 
as  for  bravery." 

"  Are  there  many  left  ?  " 

"  Not  in  Cairo  itself  .  .  .  the  Gyp  pie  is  a  very  different 
creature,  but  even  the  Gyppie,  when  he's  a  Moslem,  isn't 
so  bad  ;  it's  the  Christian-Copts  and  Christian  other  things 
one  can't  stand." 

"  What  is  a  Copt !  "  a  girl's  voice  asked. 

"  The  Gyppie  that  thinks  himself  a  Christian." 

"  I  didn't  know  there  were  any,"  the  girl  said.  "  I 
thought  Egyptians  were  always  Mohammedans." 

There  was  laughter. 

"  Did  you  never  hear  of  the  Arab  invasion  1  What 
did  you  think  they  were  before  the  year  six  hundred,  before 
the  Arabs  came  !  " 

"  Pagans,"  the  girl  said  lightly,  "  weren't  they  f  " 

A  third  voice  said,  "  They're  Pagans  still  pretty  well, 
aren't  they  t  " 

"  The  Copts  are  a  mixture  of  Pagan,  Moslem,  and  de- 
graded early  Christian  ;  for  instance,  they  stick  to  the  old 
Pagan  idea  that  Thoth  weighs  the  soul  at  death,  the  same 
thing  we  saw  so  often  on  the  temples  up  the  Nile,  only 
they  have  substituted  the  archangel  Michael  for  Thoth, 
and  their  funerals  are  far  more  Pagan  than  the  Moslems'. 
They  are  a  queer  people." 

Stella  lost  the  next  few  sentences. 

"  It's  the  beastly  Levantines  one  can't  bear  in  this 
country." 

"  What  are  Levantines  f  "  the  girl  asked. 

"  Speaking  broadly,  we  English  class  the  Greeks,  Syrians, 
Maltese,  and  Jews  all  under  the  heading  of  Levantines." 

A  voice  which  had  not  spaken  before  said,  "  In  fact, 
anything  that  is  not  purely  British.  .  .  .  Do  the  French 
come  into  that  scathing  category  t  " 

There  was  so  much  sarcasm  in  the  voice  that  Stella 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  33 

could  not  refrain  from  moving  her  chair  just  a  little,  so 
as  to  see  the  speaker.  As  she  did  so,  her  eyes  for  the 
second  time  that  evening  mot  the  eyes  of  the  stranger  who 
had  asked  who  she  was  in  the  opera-house. 

Her  face  paled  with  indignation  and  shame.  She  could 
not  conceal  her  feelings — tears  filled  her  eyes  ;  but  the 
next  moment  she  was  listening  to  her  cousin  Girgis'a 
description  of  a  desert  dancer  he  had  seen  about  a  week 
ago  at  the  marriage  of  a  wealthy  Copt  in  the  Fayyum. 

Her  composure  returned  ;  gradually  her  heart  began  to 
beat  again  at  its  ordinary  pace  ;  she  was  able  to  understand 
what  her  cousin  was  talking  about,  though  all  the  while 
in  her  ears  there  rang  the  words  :  "  It's  these  beastly 
Levantines  that  one  can't  bear  in  this  country."  She 
was,  then,  a  Levantine  ;  Vernon  would  have  to  learn  that 
from  such  people  as  she  had  been  listening  to. 

"  You  are  thinking  again,"  her  cousin  said  :  "  your  name 
suits  you  ;  I  feel  that  only  half  of  you  is  here  .  .  .  your 
thoughts  are  in  the  stars  very  much  !  " 

"  Oh,  no  !  "  Stella  said.     "  I  am  very  interested.     Can 
1  see  this  lovely  dancer  !     How  wonderful  she  must  be  !  " 
"  It  is  not  possible,"  he  said. 
"  But  why  not  ?  " 

"  Sometimes  she  might  come  to  dance  in  a  very  wealthy 
man's  harem  .  .  .  but  not  for  strangers." 
"  We  are  not  strangers  ;  we  live  here  f  " 
"  Jou  do  not  live  like  the  natives.      They  are  proud, 
these  dancers  ;  they  will  not  dance  to  Western  peoples." 
"  Bvit  why  f  " 

He  raised  his  eyes  in  the  ancient  way.     "  They  can  get 
all  the  money  and  jewels  and  adulation  they  want  from 
people   who   can   understand   their   art  .  .  .  why   should 
they  dance  to  please  the  ignorant  and  curious  t  " 
'  Do  they  get  much  money  ?  " 

'  I  have  seen  one  dancer  take  away  with  her  £200  in 
money  and  many  valuable  jewels  in  one  evening." 
"'  Could  I  never  see  her  ?  " 
I  think  not  ...  if  you  please." 

But  why  not  t     You  say  she  dances  for  Christian 
Copts  ?  " 

"  Your  mother  does  not  visit  with  any  Copts  who  live 
like  Moslems  .  .  .  she  only  knows  a  very  few  of  the 
Catholic  Christians,  the  Advanced  Copts." 

"  It  is  all  very  confusing.  In  England  I  told  people 
that  the  Christians  in  Egypt  were  like  the  Christians  in 
England  ...  I  had  only  known  Advanced  Catholic 
Copts,  I  suppose.  Do  your  Copt  cousins  veil  themselves 
and  live  apart  from  their  men-kind  like  Moslems  1  " 


34  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

"  Most  of  them,"  he  said,  "  and  if  I  marry  one  I  shall 
never  see  her  until  half  the  marriage  ceremony  is  gone 
through  ;  they  are  very  old-fashioned,  these  cousins." 

"  And  you  will  marry  one  t  "  Stella's  voice  was  full  of 
amazement. 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  now,  if  you  please." 

Stella  laughed,  his  meaning  was  so  transparent. 

"  You  can  laugh,"  he  said,  "  because  you  are  going  to 
marry  the  man  you  love." 

The  laugh  died  out  of  Stella's  eyes,  for  her  mind  was 
quickly  stormed  with  all  that  his  words  suggested  !  She 
was  going  to  marry  the  man  she  loved  .  .  .  what  would 
that  man  have  said  if  he  had  been  here  to-night  ?  ...  if 
he  had  seen  her  at  the  opera  scorned  by  his  own  nation, 
if  he  had  heard  her  classed  with  Levantines  ! 

To  Girgis  her  eyes  were  in  the  stars  again,  so  he  lapsed 
into  silence.  While  they  were  served  to  many  courses, 
a  street  musician  had  been  playing  on  his  long  Egyptian 
flute  plaintive  notes  very  Oriental  and  extremely 
monotonous. 

To  do  justice  to  the  foreigners  who  had  been  discussing 
the  Levantines  so  unflatteringly,  it  is  only  fair  to  admit 
that  none  of  Stella's  party  had  been  seen  by  them  until 
they  rose  to  go  ;  it  was  only  when  Stella  pushed  out  her 
chair,  beyond  their  sheltering  screen,  that  she  had  been 
seen.  After  that  nothing  more  had  been  said.  Fortun- 
ately, too,  no  one  but  Stella  and  her  mother  had  heard 
the  remarks,  for  Girgis  Boutros  could  not  catch  an  English 
conversation,  unless  it  was  addressed  directly  to  him, 
with  intentional  distinctness  of  pronunciation.  He  could 
not  interpret  half-tones.  So  it  was  only  Stella  who  noticed 
the  look  of  consternation  and  shame  on  the  face  of  the 
engineer,  who  had  evidently  brought  his  two  guests  to 
supper  in  the  Arab  restaurant  by  way  of  entertaining  them. 
He  had  been  completely  hidden  behind  the  screen,  and 
Stella  knew  that  he  imagined  the  restaurant  held  nothing 
but  natives.  His  own  party  and  Stella's  were  the  only 
people  in  European  dress  in  the  room.  Stella  was  generous 
enough  to  be  sorry  for  him,  yet  the  words  he  had  said 
could  never  be  unsaid  ;  she  could  never  again  feel  hersell 
anything  but  a  Levantine  in  the  eyes  of  an  Englishman 
in  Cairo. 


(  35  ) 


CHAPTER  VII 

VERNON  was  in  Egypt  !  He  had  been  gazetted  to  Cairo 
for  December  18th,  but  had  obtained  a  fortnight's  leave 
because  he  wished  to  spend  the  time  with  Stella  and  her 
people  up  the  Nile  before  he  commenced  his  duties.  The 
Lekejians'  dahabeah  was  anchored  off  Luxor.  Stella 
was  impatiently  waiting  for  the  arrival  of  the  Government 
mail-boat  which  was  to  bring  her  lover  ;  her  mother,  who 
was  sitting  on  the  deck  drawing-room  beside  her,  saw  her 
agitation.  When  Stella  was  agitated  or  deeply  moved, 
the  slate-grey  of  her  eyes  deepened  to  black  and  her  lips 
trembled.  She  had  never  once  mentioned  to  her  mother 
the  wounds  her  pride  had  received,  or  said  a  word  to  show 
her  natural  nervousness  about  Vernon's  arrival,  but  she 
had  gladly  agreed  to  her  parents'  tactful  suggestion  that 
they  should  spend  the  time  with  Vernon  in  their  charmingly 
appointed  dehabeah  on  the  Nile.  Neither  mother  nor 
daughter  had  ever  hinted  that  it  would  be  pleasanter  to 
receive  him  out  of  Cairo  ;  it  was  silently  understood. 

Dressed  in  spotless  white,  Stella  looked  enchanting. 
Her  horror  of  Levantine  splendour  had  cut  her  dressing 
down  to  the  severest  simplicity,  which  suited  her  youthful 
freshness.  The  only  jewel  she  ever  wore  now  was  el  shablca, 
as  Girgis  called  her  engagement  ring. 

At  last  she  saw  Nicolas,  who  had  gone  to  meet  the  mail- 
steamer,  with  Vernon  by  his  side.  Her  whole  being  trem- 
bled with  emotion,  for  her  lover  looked  a  splendid  figure 
of  English  manhood.  When  he  saw  her  standing  under 
the  deck  awning  of  their  house-boat  he  took  off  his  hat 
and  waved  it  triumphantly  in  the  air  ;  his  hair  shone  in 
the  sunlight  like  bright  gold — how  fair  and  British  he 
looked  !  In  a  very  few  moments  he  was  on  the  deck 
beside  her  ;  he  had  scarcely  permitted  the  smart  Sudanese 
boy,  in  a  white  jersey  and  green  tarbush,  to  brush  the 
sand  off  his  feet  and  trousers  with  an  ostrich -feather 
broom  ...  he  was  so  impatient  to  reach  Stella.  With 
the  lightness  of  perfect  physical  training  he  vaulted  01 
sprang  over  everything  in  his  way. 

His  greeting  was  to  her  mother  first,  who  extinguished 
herself  the  next  moment  behind  a  tall  palm,  while  Vernon 
folded  Stella  in  his  arms  and  kissed  her. 

"  Oh  !  do  let  me  look  at  you,"  Stella  said,  when  breath 
permitted  her  to  speak  ;  "  I  can  hardly  believe  it's  true 
that  you  are  here  in  the  flesh  beside  me." 

"  I'll  prove  it,"  he  said  delightedly,   "  though  I  can 


36  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

hardly  believe  it  myself  !  "     He  put  his  arms  round  her 
again  and  kissed  her  smiling  mouth. 

"  It  is  harder  for  me  to  believe  it,  dearest,"  she  said 
tenderly. 

"  Why  should  it  be  T  "  he  said.  "  I  kept  thinking  the 
train  would  break  down  or  the  ship  go  to  the  bottom,  or 
something  else  awful  would  happen  to  keep  me  away  from 
you.  The  journey  seemed  unending  ;  the  nearer  I  got  to 
Luxor  the  longer  the  hours  became." 

Stella  gave  a  contented  sigh  .  .  .  but  there  was  some- 
thing in  the  sigh  which  expressed  more  than  content,  it 
expressed  a  depth  of  emotion  which  the  girl  had  never 
shown  in  the  old  days. 

He  looked  at  her  anxiously,  she  felt  his  desire  to  under- 
stand. "  So  many  things  have  happened  to  change  my 
life,"  she  said,  "  and  my  beliefs.  I  was  afraid  you,  too, 
might  have  changed  !  " 

Have  you  changed  about  me  1  "  he  asked  quizzically  ; 
"  but  tell  me  what  has  so  changed  your  life.  Of  course 
everything  out  here  is  awfully  different,  but  what's  that 
got  to  do  with  you  and  me  t  " 

"  Just  everything,"  she  said  ;  "  but  for  this  week  at 
least  you  are  still  my  own."  She  clung  to  him  as  he 
raised  her  face  to  his. 

"  I'm  yours  for  ever,"  he  said ;  "  don't  talk  rot,  Stella, 
not  even  in  fun — it's  not  kind." 

She  laughed.  "  Then  I  won't,  dearest — and  here  come 
father  and  mother  ;  they've  been  giving  us  a  few  moments 
to  get  over  our  '  shyness.'  " 

They  laughed  and  ran  hand-in-hand  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Lekejian. 

"  Father,  this  is  Vernon,"  Stella  cried.  "  He's  awfully 
shy  about  meeting  you,  but  I've  told  him  you  aren't  a  very 
frightening  sort  of  a  person,  are  you,  darling  ?  "  She  kissed 
her  father  from  the  overflowing  happiness  in  her  heart. 

Vernon  held  out  his  hand  ;  he  liked  the  general  appear- 
ance of  his  prospective  father-in-law,  although  it  instantly 
brought  the  fact  to  his  memory  that  Stella,  on  her  father's 
side,  was  not  English.  "  I  am  shy,  sir,  truly  enough  as 
Stella  says,  for  I  can't  see  any  earthly  reason  why  you 
should  approve  of  me  as  a  son-in-law.  Stella  could  have 
married  any  one  in  the  world,  and  I  am  only  a  soldier  with 
nothing  worth  mentioning  to  offer  her  but  my  devotion." 

"  That,  coupled  with  an  Englishman's  sense  of  honour 
and  the  duty  he  owes  his  wife,  is  enough  for  me,"  Mr. 
Lekejian  said,  "  that  is,  of  course,  if  my  girl  wants  you." 
He  looked  laughingly  at  his  daughter.  "  I  have  sufficient 
worldly  goods  to  endow  her  comfortably  for  life ;  but 


37 

remember,"  he  said  more  gravely,  "  that  in  giving  her  to 
you  I  am  trusting  you  with  my  most  priceless  possession." 
He  let  the  young  man's  hand  drop  reluctantly. 

Vernon  could  not  answer,  for  he  felt  suddenly  confronted 
with  the  real  facts  of  the  case,  that  he,  a  total  stranger  to 
this  man,  was  going  to  take  from  him  his  most  priceless 
possession,  that  he  was  accepting  the  responsibility  of 
bestowing  upon  Stella  a  love  arid  devotion  which  was  to 
equal  the  devotion  of  her  parents  ;  .  .  .  but  as  he  could 
not  express  his  deep  appreciation  of  the  honour  Nicolas 
Lekejian  was  paying  him,  he  merely  said,  "  I  will  try  not 
to  forget,  sir,  indeed  I  will." 

Mrs.  Lekejian,  who  was  very  fond  of  Vernon  said,  with 
just  a  trace  of  her  Irish  brogue,  which  still  showed  itself 
in  moments  of  deep  feeling  :  "  Indeed,  I'm  sure  you  will, 
Vernon  :  Stella,  I'm  not  afraid  to  trust  you  to  Vernon's 
care." 

The  smile  Stella  gave  her  mother  was  all  love  and 
gratitude. 

"  I'm  glad  you  came  straight  to  Luxor  without  staying, 
in  Cairo,  for  this  is  Egypt,"  Nicolas  the  younger  said.  With 
his  walking-stick  he  indicated  the  wonderful  view  of  the 
soft  Theban  hills  bathed  in  the  pink  sunlight  of  Upper 
Egypt,  and  the  plain  where  the  far-spreading  waters  of 
the  inundation  of  the  Nile  reflected  the  exquisite  blue  of 
the  sky.  "  Thebes  lies  there,"  he  said,  "  the  world's  first 
great  capital,  the  city  of  the  Pharaohs  who  oppressed  the 
children  of  Israel.  We  can  go  there  to-morrow  if  you  like 
— it's  a  lovely  ride  ;  to-night  I  thought  we  might  walk  to 
Karnak.  The  moon  is  almost  full,  and  Earnak  looks 
glorious  by  moonlight.  Would  you  care  to  1  " 

"  Of  course  I'd  like  to  go,"  Vernon  said,  "  but  I'm  awfully 
ignorant  about  Egypt.  Please  take  it  for  granted  that  I 
know  absolutely  nothing  .  .  .  what  is  Karnak  ?  " 

"  Why  should  you  know  f  "  Stella  said,  sympathetically. 
"  Karnak  was  the  '  mother-temple,'  of  all  the  city  temples 
of  Thebes  ;  of  all  the  temples  in  Egypt  it  is  the  grandest, 
though  it's  not  the  most  perfect.  You'll  love  it.  Nicolas 
and  I  went  there  last  night.  You'll  reverence  mere  men 
more  after  you  have  seen  Karnak." 

"  I  suppose  I  should  have  read  up  Egyptian  history 
before  I  came  out,"  Vernon  said,  "  but,  to  tell  you  the 
truth,  I  didn't  think  much  about  Egypt  ;  it  was  you  I  was 
coming  to  see." 

Their  eyes  answered  each  other  understandingly,  and 
Stella  said  laughingly  :  "  You're  just  taking  Egypt  thrown 
in  with  your  pound  of  tea." 

"  I  suppose  I  am,  but  anyhow,  I  never  saw  anything 


38  A  WIFE  OUT  OP  EGYPT 

quite  so  amazing  as  that."  He  pointed  to  the  perfect 
reflection  in  the  water  of  the  temple  of  Luxor,  which  standa 
BO  close  to  the  river's  bank  that  you  can  see  it  as  clearly 
in  the  water  as  you  can  on  the  land. 

Its  long  row  of  lotus  columns,  tinted  with  the  same  deli- 
cate pink  as  the  Theban  hills,  seemed  to  rise  from  tha 
depths  of  the  river  like  the  buds  of  lilies  striving  to  reach 
the  sun. 

"  Isn't  it  exquisite  ?  "  Stella  said.  "  That's  a  part  oi 
the  great  temple  at  Karnak  ;  it  was  joined  to  it  in  ancient 
times  by  a  paved  avenue,  lined  on  either  side  with  crouch- 
ing rams — half  a  mile  in  length.  When  we've  had  some 
tea  and  it's  a  little  cooler,  we'll  go  into  Luxor  temple  if 
you  like  ;  you  ought  to  just  see  it  before  we  visit  Karnak, 
whose  greater  glory  overshadows  it." 

"  I'd  love  to,"  Vernon  said,  "  though  I'm  a  very  poor 
sight-seer." 

"  You  needn't  take  it  very  seriously,"  Nicolas  said. 
"  In  the  days  when  Thebes  was  the  capital  of  Egypt, 
Earnak  and  Luxor  were  parts  of  the  city — the  Nile  ran 
right  through  it.  The  modern  Arabic  name  for  the  eastern 
portion  of  the  city  is  El  Aksar  ;  Luxor  is  merely  a  cor- 
ruption of  it." 

"  I  see,"  Vernon  said  ;  "it  is  hard  to  imagine  that  all 
this  was  once  a  city."  He  pointed  towards  the  irrigated 
land,  green  with  the  first  shoots  of  the  coming  crops,  and 
the  stretches  of  beautiful  water  which  lay  between  the 
river's  bank  and  the  desert  beyond,  where  the  monuments 
which  tell  you  of  the  past  glory  of  Thebes  are  still  standing. 

Nicolas  soon  left  the  lovers  to  themselves  and,  for  at 
least  one  hour  and  a  half,  they  talked  of  things  which  had 
little  to  do  with  the  splendour  of  Thebes  or  the  wonders  of 
ancient  Egypt.  They  were  young,  and  they  were  in  love, 
so  the  hour  and  a  half  seemed  all  too  short  for  the  pleasure 
they  had  to  crowd  into  it. 

It  was  so  comforting  to  feel  he  had  not  changed  in  one 
iota,  that  Stella  only  laughed  when  he  answered  her  ques- 
tions in  little  more  than  monosyllables.  And  if  for  the 
first  time  it  dawned  upon  her  that  the  subjects  which  in- 
terested him  were  limited,  and  that  even  in  that  first 
hour  many  things  had  sprung  to  her  lips  to  say  which  she 
held  back  in  case  they  would  bore  him,  she  was  not  in 
the  humour  to  be  conscious  of  it.  The  joy  she  felt  in 
realising  that  in  his  eyes  at  least — and  he  was  typically 
English — she  was  perfect,  made  her  blind  to  everything  else. 

At  half-past  four  Stella  saw  Benhadad,  their  grave 
butler,  carrying  the  silver  tea-tray  laden  with  the  tea- 
pot, coffee-pot,  and  cups  and  saucers.  He  wore  a  scarlet 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  39 

tarbush  and  a  beautiful  soft  grey  silk  galabeah  ;  behind 
him  walked  another  servant  similarly  dressed,  bearing  a 
tray  with  hot  cakes,  sandwiches,  and  biscuits.  When  the 
tea  was  arranged,  with  great  solemnity  the  tall  Copt  with 
the  features  of  an  ancient  Egyptian  came  up  to  Stella  and 
Baid  in  perfect  English,  "  Tea  is  served,  sitt." 

Stella  asked  him  something  in  Arabic. 

To  which  he  answered  :  "  Aiwah  sitt,"  and  pointed  to 
the  delicately  cut  plate  of  jam  sandwiches,  and  when  Stella 
said  something  else  to  him  in  Arabic  he  again  said  with 
Exquisite  deference  :  "  Aiwah  sitt,"  and  clapped  his  hands. 
One  of  the  small  bare-footed  Sudanese  boys  came  running 
to  him.  Vernon  was  charmed  with  the  lad's  bright  face 
and  with  the  beauty  of  his  slim,  well- polished  limbs. 
When  Stella  spoke  to  him  he  repeated,  as  his  superior 
had  done,  "  Aiwah  sitt,  aiwah  sitt,"  and  bowed  his  slim 
body  almost  double. 

The  next  second  he  had  bounded  off  with  the  grace  of 
an  antelope  to  the  bows  of  the  boat.  The  sound  of  flute- 
music  soon  began,  and  the  clear  tink-tink-tinking  of  a 
"  bottle-and-key." 

Vernon  looked  to  Stella  for  an  explanation. 

"That's  our  private  orchestra,"  she  said  laughingly. 
"  I  thought  you  would  like  the  '  real  thing '  for  your  first 
afternoon.  That's  typical  Nile  music.  The  flute-player 
is  quite  a  musician,  the  other  instrument  is  nothing  more 
than  a  glass  bottle  and  key ;  it's  very  effective  when  the 
earthen  drum  comes  in — you'll  hear  its  deeper  tum-tum- 
tumming  soon." 

"  This  is  perfect,"  Vernon  whispered  ;  "  Heaven  couldn't 
be  better." 

Stella  shivered  and  took  a  white  woollen  shawl  from 
Yehla,  her  boy,  who  had  silently  appeared  with  it." 

Vernon  folded  it  closely  round  her.  "  How  did  he  know 
that  you  wanted  it  1  "  he  asked.  "  Did  you  make  a  sign 
to  him  ?  I  heard  nothing." 

Stella  smiled.  "  No,  I  never  did  anything  but  feel  the 
need  of  it  ...  you'll  soon  find  out  that  you  have  only 
to  '  think  a  thing  '  in  Egypt  to  have  some  servant  hand  it 
to  you — just  before  sun-down  it  always  gets  chilly,  a 
wind  springs  up." 

"How  quickly  things  happen!"  he  said;  "it  was 
awfully  warm  and  bright  about  five  minutes  ago — it's 
getting  a  bit  chilly  certainly." 

"  The  air  will  get  warmer  after  the  sun  actually  drops 
behind  the  line.  All  sorts  of  strange  things  happen  at 
this  hour  in  Egypt,  especially  on  the  Nile  :  objects  on 
land  look  perfectly  black  during  the  actual  glow  of  the 


40  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

sunset,  and  then  everything  for  a  time  becomes 
drowned  in  an  orange  light.  Then  the  sun  drops  and 
a  new  mystery  begins  ;  a  fire  springs  up,  as  if  it  came 
from  the  underworld,  and  sends  up  awful  arms  of  flames 
into  the  darkening  heavens :  you'll  never  forget  your  first 
Egyptian  sunset." 

As  she  spoke  the  sonorous  voice  of  the  mueddin  belonging 
to  the  mosque  whose  white  minaret  rises  up  so  strangely 
from  the  splendid  courtyard,  which  Ramesea  II.  built  to 
his  pagan  deity  in  the  temple  of  Luxor,  called  the  faithful 
to  prayer. 

It  was  the  maghrib  or  sunset  prayer  which,  according  to 
the  Prophet's  teaching,  should  be  said  a  few  moments 
after  sunset,  or  a  few  moments  before,  for  he  would  not 
allow  his  followers  to  commence  their  prayers  exactly 
at  sunrise  or  sunset,  or  sun  down,  because  infidels  wor- 
shipped the  sun  at  such  hours. 

Vernon  listened  to  the  ancient  cry  wonderingly  ;  it  was 
like  a  voice  from  another  world  ;  there  was  a  mystery  in 
its  beauty  which  was  full  of  godliness. 

The  next  moment  he  saw  the  white-turbaned  heads  of 
the  Mohammedans  on  the  banks  of  the  river  bowing  to 
the  earth,  and  many  of  the  simple  fellahin  prostrating 
themselves  on  the  ground  until  their  foreheads  touched  the 
sand — not  one  grain  of  which  would  they  brush  off  if  it 
clung  to  their  skin. 

Vernon  noticed  that  Benhadad  and  the  other  servants 
on  their  house-boat  did  not  take  any  notice  of  the  call  to 
prayer,  but  continued  doing  the  work  they  were  engaged 
in.  "  Why  don't  your  servants  pray  t  "  he  asked.  He 
was  wondering  if  Mr.  Lekejian  had  forbidden  them  to  do  so. 

"  Because  they  are  Christians,"  she  said. 

"  Do  you  only  employ  Christian  servants  t  " 

"  Yes,  my  father  insists — except  the  Sudanese  '  crew,'  of 
course." 

"  I  thought  Mohammedans  were  always  considered 
more  honest.  Why  does  he  have  Christians  t  " 

"  Because  we  ourselves  are  Christians,"  Stella  said, 
ignoring  the  first  part  of  his  remark. 

"  Well,  naturally,"  he  laughed.  "  Have  the  missionaries 
ton  verted  these  Johnnies  1  " 

Stella  laughed  this  time.  "  Their  forefathers  were  con- 
verted in  about  the  first  century,"  she  said.  "  Christian 
missionaries  haven't  been  very  successful  since  that  time." 

Vernon  whistled.     "  You  don't  mean  it  t  " 

"  Almost  all  the  Copts  are  Christians,"  she  said,  "  and 
they  pray  seven  times  a  day  if  they're  strict,  but  not  in 
public." 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  41 

"  The  what  did  you  call  them  t  " 

"  Copts,"  Stella  repeated  laughingly.  "  Copt  is  the 
European  term  :  it  is  derived  from  an  Arabic  word  for  the 
Egyptian  Christian — the  Egyptians  who  did  not  embrace) 
Mohammedanism  are  all  Copts.  It's  the  term  now  applied 
to  all  native  Christians  in  Egypt,  although  originally  the 
word  Copt  only  meant  Egyptian — but  don't  look  as  if  I 
was  speaking  of  the  sacred  bulls  of  Apis." 

"  I  don't  know  what  sort  of  bulls  the  Apis  bulls  are,"  he 
said  simply.  "  Look  here,  I  do  feel  an  awful  duffer." 

"  Copts  are  as  nearly  as  possible  the  real  descendants  of 
the  ancient  Egyptians,  the  Egyptians  who  remained  un- 
affected by  the  Arab  invasion,  and  Mohammedan  religion. 
There  are  a  few  Moslem-Copts,  I  think,  but  not  many — 
native  Christians  converted  in  later  days  to  Mohammedan- 
ism, but  they  are  mostly  in  Upper  Egypt  in  very  out-lying 
villages.  When  the  Egyptians,  generally  speaking,  be- 
came Mohammedans  they  intermarried  with  the  Arab 
invaders  and  with  other  Mohammedan  races.  The  Chris- 
tians only  remained  pure,  except  of  course  for  the  inter- 
marrying which  went  on  in  the  early  Christian  days  before 
the  Arab  invasion  by  Arnr  in  640,  and  so  they  were  called 
Copts  to  distinguish  them  as  being  the  original  Egyptians. 
Above  all  other  people  they  represent  the  race  of  the 
ancient  Egyptians  to-day." 

"  How  awfully  interesting  !  "  he  said.  "  Are  they  in 
any  way  pure  in  the  other  senses  of  the  word  ? — are  they  a 
decent  set  of  people,  better  than  the  ordinary  '  missionary- 
made  '  Christians  !  " 

"  That  depends  on  how  you  look  upon  the  matter," 
she  said  ..."  you  will  think  them  dreadful."  Her  tone 
had  suddenly  become  bitter. 

"  Why  do  you  say  that  .  .  .  ?  "  it  was  the  first  time  he 
had  ever  heard  anything  but  sweetness  from  her  lips. 

"  Because  you  are  English,"  she  said,  "  and  the  English 
think  it  is  the  correct  thing  to  despise  their  fellow -Christians 
in  Egypt." 

"  But  are  they  fellow-Christians  ?  "  he  said.  "  Are  you 
sure  they  aren't  just  degraded  Mohammedans  who  have 
sold  their  faith  for  the  flesh-pots  of  the  Christians  t  " 

"  They  are  Christians  of  a  strange  sort,"  she  said,  "  Chris- 
tians who  have  suffered  centuries  of  wrongs  and  humilia- 
tions and  tortures  for  their  beliefs  ;  they  have  endured 
such  persecutions  and  injustices  that  only  the  letter  of 
their  religion  is  left,  not  the  spirit.  They  aren't  Christians 
as  you  and  I  accept  the  meaning  of  the  word,  but  they  are 
Christians  insomuch  that  they  have  never  lost  hold  of 
the  teachings  of  the  early  Church  of  Christ.  None  of  them, 


42  A  WIPE  OUT  OP  EGYPT 

poor  things,  know  anything  about  the  beauty  and  humanity 
of  His  doctrines,  not  even  as  much  as  the  Mohammedans 
do." 

"  How  strange,"  he  said,  "  to  have  hung  on  to  the 
'  Church '  for  all  these  centuries  and  to  have  lost  Christ ! 
What  a  tenacious  people  !  " 

"  Of  course  there  are  some  Copts  who  love  Christ  and 
love  humanity  through  Him — they  do  crop  up  now  and 
again — and  there  are  a  few  saintly  names  even  in  modern 
Coptic  history,  but  not  many.  I'm  speaking  now  of  the 
people  ;  not  of  the  highly  educated  upper-class  Copts." 

"  What  a  lot  I  have  to  learn,  darling !  I  don't  know 
where  to  begin." 

"  Oh,  you  needn't  bother  about  the  Copts,"  Stella  said 
hastily — again  bitterness  was  in  her  voice — "  no  English- 
man ever  does  learn  the  real  truth  about  them  or  tries 
to  find  out  any  good  in  them.  To  the  tourist  the  Copt 
isn't  such  an  effective  asset  in  the  landscape  as  the  Mussul- 
man, who  prays  devoutly  in  the  desert,  or  in  the  crowded 
street,  or  in  the  noisy  railway  station  in  the  most  pictures- 
que fashion  ;  the  Copts  have  far  longer  prayers  to  say  five 
times  each  day,  but  strangers  don't  hear  them." 

"  I  believe  you're  awfully  keen  about  these  Copts," 
he  said. 

"  I'm  sorry  to  Bay  I'm  rather  the  reverse  ;  but  since  I've 
been  in  Cairo  father  has  told  me  lots  of  things  which  account 
for  their  unpleasant  characteristics.  I've  read  their 
history,  and  I've  come  to  the  conclusion  that  if  they  had 
given  up  their  faith  and  turned  Mohammedans  .  .  ." 
she  sighed,  "  in  fact,  if  all  Christians  in  the  East  were 
Mohammedans,  it  would  be  better  for  them  ;  the  English, 
in  spite  of  being  Christians  themselves,  would  respect 
them  more  if  they  were." 

"  That  sounds  as  though  Mohammedanism  was  the 
better  religion  of  the  two,  at  least  for  Orientals." 

"  But  don't  you  think  the  English  ought  to  admire  the 
Copts  for  sticking  to  their  beliefs,  even  though  they  have 
lost  the  real  beauty  of  Christ's  teachings  1  It's  hardly 
their  own  fault  that  they've  become  what  they  are.  A 
despised  people  becomes  servile  !  " 

I  suppose  the  English  do  admire  them  t  " 

"  I  don't  think  so." 

"  Why  not  t  " 

"  Because  they  treat  them  as  outcasts "...  her 
indignation  was  rising.  ...  "  But,  dearest,"  she  said, 
"  don't  let  me  talk  about  it  so  soon,  let  me  forget  that  there 
ever  were  such  things  as  Jacobite-Copts  and  Uniat-Copts 
and  Levantines." 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  43 

"  Whatever  is  a  Uniat-Copt  ?  "  he  asked.  "  I  never 
heard  of  such  a  lot  of  strange  peoples  ?  " 

"  A  Catholic  Copt  .  .  .  which  means  a  Roman  Catholic 
belonging  to  the  Egyptian  Christian  Church.  There 
aren't  very  many  of  them,  and  they  have  only  existed 
for  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  years.  My  father  is  a 
Uniat-Copt,  although  he  is  a  Syrian." 

Vernon  looked  at  her  in  astonishment.  "  Tour  father  t  " 
he  said  slowly  :  "  Is  he  a  Copt  ?  " 

"  Not  in  the  original  meaning  of  the  word  because  he 
is  a  Syrian,  but  for  many  generations  his  people  have  lived 
in  Egypt.  Speaking  broadly,  a  Copt  means  a  native 
Christian,  and  my  father  is  not  a  native,  although  he  goes 
to  the  Coptic  Uniat  church." 

"  I  see,"  Vernon  said  slowly  ;  "  I  hadn't  realised  that." 

"  I  knew  you  hadn't."  Stella  spoke  nervously. 

He  took  her  hand  in  his  and  pressed  it  to  his  lips. 
Ardently  he  kissed  the  tip  of  each  of  her  pretty  fingers. 
"  Dearest,"  he  said,  "  I  don't  know  why  we  are  talking 
so  much  about  the  Church  and  all  the  funny  sorts  of  Chris- 
tians there  are  in  the  world  in  the  first  hours  we  are  to- 
gether ;  let's  talk  about  nicer  things,  things  that  we've 
wanted  to  know  for  all  these  unending  months.  Did  you 
miss  me  awfully,  dearest  f  .  .  .  your  letters  were  sweet, 
I  nearly  know  them  all  by  heart.  But  you  are  clever ! 
Did  you  think  mine  awful  rot  ?  " 

The  kiss  he  took  from  her  smiling  lips  was  Stella's  only 
answer  to  his  question  ;  in  his  light  flannels  he  looked  so 
fair  and  athletic  that  her  heart  overflowed  with  pride. 
In  a  land  of  almond-skinned  and  black-haired  people,  he 
seemed  a  creature  of  almost  unnatural  colouring.  In  a 
totally  different  way  his  features  were  as  correct  as  an 
Egyptian's,  they  were  straight  and  short ;  and  his  teeth, 
though  they  were  almost  as  perfect  as  Girgis  Boutros's, 
were  not  the  marked  features  in  his  face  which  the  beautiful 
teeth  of  an  Oriental  always  appear  to  be. 

"  If  you've  had  enough  tea,  she  said,  drawing  away  her 
hand  because  laughingly  she  declared  that  "  his  kisses 
had  made  it  sticky,"  "  let's  go  ashore  and  look  at  the  temple, 
it  will  be  too  dark  if  we  don't  go  at  once  ;  I'll  just  tell 
mother."  Stella  knew  very  well  why  they  had  been  dis- 
cussing the  subject  of  Christians  and  Copts,  but  she  did 
not  inform  her  lover.  It  was  because  suggestion  was  forc- 
ing her  to  speak  about  the  last  topic  in  the  world  that  she 
ever  wished  him  to  hear.  Had  she  not  arranged  to  meet 
him  at  Luxor  so  as  to  get  away  from  her  fellow -Christians 
in  Cairo  f  Her  conversation  had  shown  her  that  Vernon 
had  as  little  idea  of  the  real  facts  of  her  social  position  in 


44  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

Egypt  as  she  had  had  before  her  arrival  in  Cairo,  and  she 
could  not  tell  him.  All  the  wonderful  things  she  had 
imagined  herself  saying  to  him  when  they  first  met 
were  forgotten,  or  could  not  be  said  ;  she  felt  that  she  would 
have  to  see  him  many,  many  times  before  she  could  get 
back  the  delicious  sense  of  rest  his  presence  had  once 
afforded  her. 

They  had  no  sooner  set  foot  on  shore  than  they  were 
surrounded  by  long-legged,  dark-eyed  donkey  boys,  in 
short,  white  shirts  and  white  skull-caps,  made  of  coarse 
crochet,  who  pestered  their  lives  out  to  engage  them  for  the 
hour,  or  the  week,  or  the  year.  When  the  brilliant -eyed 
rascals  became  too  persistent  Stella  let  them  know  that 
she  could  speak  Arabic.  Instantly  their  seemingly  modest 
prices  fell  to  about  the  quarter  of  what  they  had  been 
asking. 

There  was  a  good  deal  of  whispering  amongst  them,  for 
they  could  not  understand  why  a  lady  who  had  never  been 
in  Luxor  before  should  speak  Arabic  like  a  native,  while 
her  husband  with  the  red  face  did  not  know  one  word. 
Countless  curio-dealers  implored  them  to  buy  their  wares, 
laid  out  on  the  dusty  highway  which  divides  the  temple 
of  Luxor  from  the  river.  Vivid  green  sphinxes,  freshly 
"  mummied "  hawks,  and  images  of  the  god  Osiris  in 
every  possible  form  were  amongst  the  most  popular. 
The  natives  always  addressed  Stella  as  "  My  beautiful 
lady,"  and  spoke  of  Vernon  as  "  Your  genleman." 

"  Your  gen-le-man  he  buy  you  this  very  nice  god  Osiris  ; 
him  very  lucky,  my  lady  ;  you  buy  what  price  you  like  !  " 

"  Yes,  my  lady,  him  very  ancient,  two  weeks  back  him 
dug  up  in  Thebes  .  .  .  my  word  is  true,  my  lady  .  .  . 
very  cheap  god." 

The  only  thing  Vernon  did  buy  was  a  fly-switch,  as 
Stella  had  forgotten  to  bring  her  own  ashore,  and  he  rather 
fancied  one  with  very  long  white  hair,  and  a  blue-beaded 
handle,  finished  with  a  tassel  of  small  white  cowrie  shells. 

When  they  had  wandered  through  the  various  parts 
of  the  vast  ruin  and  glanced  at  some  of  the  most  striking 
reliefs  and  statues,  Vernon  suggested  that  they  should 
sit  down  and  "  take  an  easy  " — he  wanted  to  have  Stella's 
thoughts  centred  on  himself  again.  Stella  had  soon  dis- 
covered that  it  was  the  general  grandeur  and  the  magic 
effect  of  the  colouring  which  appealed  to  him  ;  the  history 
and  meaning  of  the  various  parts  of  the  temple  boied  him 
though  he  tried  not  to  show  it  when  he  saw  her  joy  in 
looking  at  certain  reliefs  and  statues  she  recognised  as 
relating  to  the  little  store  of  Egyptology  she  had  laid  up 
in  her  memo)  y.| 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  45 

They  had  seated  themselves  on  the  drum  of  a  fallen 
column,  and  Stella  was  telling  him  about  the  early  Christian 
church  that  had  once  been  built  into  a  part  of  the  temple, 
and  how  the  Christians  in  their  mad  zeal  had  smashed  the 
statues,  disfigured  the  reliefs,  and  desecrated  the  shrines, 
not  only  in  the  portion  they  had  selected  for  their  church 
but  in  the  temple  generally,  when  she  suddenly  stopped 
and  looked  round,  for  she  heard  a  footstep  close  behind  her. 
As  she  turned  to  see  who  it  was  her  eyes  met  the  eyes  of 
the  man  who  had  looked  at  her  with  so  much  interest  on 
the  night  at  the  opera.  His  personality  had  not  faded 
from  her  memory  ;  his  strong  face  had  appeared  to  her 
over  and  over  again  at  the  most  unlikely  moments.  Now, 
for  a  reason  she  was  totally  unconscious  of,  she  felt  the 
hot  blood  fly  to  her  face. 

He  lifted  his  hat.  "  I  hope  you  will  forgive  me,"  he 
said — "  I  have  been  listening  to  what  you  said  about  the 
Christian  church  because  I  was  so  much  interested,  and  I 
was  waiting  to  give  you  this  .  .  .  you  dropped  it  when  you 
rose  from  where  you  were  sitting  near  the  chapel  of  Mut. 
I  happened  to  hear  it  fall  or  I  should  not  have  seen  it." 

Stella  took  the  object  he  handed  to  her  eagerly.  "  Oh, 
thank  you  so  much  !  "  she  said,  "  I  wouldn't  have  lost  it 
for  worlds."  She  looked  at  her  gold  chain  from  which 
the  charm  had  become  detached  ;  there  were  two  other 
charms  still  left  on  it.  One  was  a  silver  hand  of  Fatma 
(the  daughter  of  the  Prophet),  in  ancient  filigree  work  ; 
the  other  was  an  Italian  charm  in  silver  representing  St. 
Joseph  and  the  infant  Christ.  The  one  which  had  just 
been  restored  was  a  triangle  of  dull  green  stone,  with  a 
hole  drilled  through  it  large  enough  to  hold  a  thick  string. 
It  almost  resembled  a  heart. 

The  stranger  smiled  when  he  saw  the  Christian,  Pagan, 
and  Mohammedan  charms  hanging  on  the  same  chain. 
"  You  are  well  protected  !  " 

Stella's  eyes  smiled  ...  "  The  one  you  found,"  she 
held  out  the  greenish  stone,  "  is  pre-Sikelian  ;  it  would 
have  been  dreadful  to  have  lost  it — found  in  the  ruins 
liere  what  confusion  it  might  have  caused  !  " 

"  May  I  look  at  it  t  "  he  said.  He  caressed  the  smooth 
surface  of  the  time-worn  stone  with  appreciative  fingers. 
"  I  don't  know  the  stone  ;  where  did  it  come  from  1  " 

"  I  got  it  at  Ferento,  near  Viterbo  in  Italy  ;  I  thought 
it  was  Roman,  for  there  is  an  old  Roman  theatre  there, 
and  lots  of  Roman  remains,  but  an  authority  told  me  it 
was  perhaps  pre-Sikelian."  She  turned  to  Vernon : 
"  You've  not  seen  it.  I  like  to  think  it  has  been  worn 
by  an  unknown  people." 


46  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

"  I  wonder  what  unknown  evil  it  was  supposed  to  avert,'* 
the  stranger  said,  "  or  what  unknown  good  it  was  to  bring ; 
but  if  it  was  worn  by  a  woman  it  no  doubt  possessed  the 
Bamo  old  virtues  as  all  the  other  charms  worn  by  primitive 
women  possessed  ;  their  amulets  have  never  changed." 

"  What  virtue  was  that  ?  "  Vernon  asked.  "  What  did 
they  wear  it  for  !  " 

The  girl's  eyes  half  met  the  eyes  of  the  stranger  ;  they 
both  knew  !  Already  she  had  discovered  that  there  was 
much  this  stranger  understood. 

"  To  ensure  the  birth  of  sons  and  keep  the  love  of  their 
husbands."  It  was  the  stranger  who  spoke. 

Vernon  laughed.  "  They  had  only  two  ideas,  two  desires, 
poor  things  f  " 

"  They  are  the  first  desires  of  every  woman  still,"  the 
stranger  said.  "  Modern  or  ancient,  the  real  woman 
changes  very  little.  One  notices  that  in  the  carvings  on 
the  temples  ;  the  Egyptians  seem  to  have  allowed  their 
women  as  much  freedom  as  the  Greeks  ;  the  kings  and 
queens  are  often  represented  together.  There  are  some 
fine  women  in  Egyptian  history." 

"  Yes,  indeed  ;  if  Egypt  never  produced  a  '  Sappho,'  it 
undoubtly  has  its  Queen  Elizabeth,  and  a  very  remark- 
able one  too.  The  women  of  ancient  Egypt  appear  to 
have  been  far  less  restricted  than  the  modern  Mohammedan 
women.  I  wonder  when  the  custom  of  veiling  and  all 
the  other  restrictions  began — far  before  the  Prophet's 
time,  of  course." 

"  It's  a  curious  thing,"  the  stranger  said,  "  the  way 
women  have  asserted  themselves  in  history,  even  in  the 
countries  where  they  apparently  play  unimportant  parts. 
Japan  had  a  woman  for  one  of  its  finest  poet-philosophers ; 
China  has  had  an  Empress  whose  name  will  never  die  out 
in  the  history  of  her  country  ;  Egypt  had  Queen  Hatshep- 
set,  and  Assyria  Semiramis  ;  the  Jews  had  many  famoua 
women,  the  fair  Esther  amongst  their  number." 

Vernon  remained  almost  silent  while  Stella  and  the 
stranger  let  their  conversation  drift  from  one  topic  to 
another. 

When  the  stranger  left  them  Vernon  said,  "  How  do  you 
know  all  these  things  t  That  chap  could  have  talked  on 
for  ever." 

"  Did  he  bore  you  t  I  thought  he  was  very  interesting  : 
he  can  read  most  of  the  cartouches,  and  he  seems  to  be  aa 
taken  as  I  am  with  the  character  of  Amen-hetep  IV.  .  .  . 
he  appears  to  have  read  everything  there  is  to  be  read 
about  him." 

Amen  .  .  .  what  did  you  say — who  was  the  chap  t  " 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  47 

"  The  heretic  king  I  spoke  to  you  about  who  tried  to 
overthrow  the  power  of  the  political  priests  of  Amon-Ra, 
and  teach  his  people  the  religion  of  Truth  and  Beauty, 
and  the  belief  that  God  is  in  all  things— that  in  worship- 
ping the  beauties  of  nature  you  are  worshipping  God." 

Vernon  laughed.     "  Good  Lord  !    Who  was  Amon-Ra  t  " 

"  The  god  who  was  the  supreme  god  over  all  the  gods  in 
Egypt  for  a  very  long  period  :  the  priests  of  Amon-Ra 
were  as  strong  a  political  body  as  the  Popes  of  Rome,  and 
for  a  far  longer  period  of  history." 

Vernon  looked  at  Stella  with  a  growing  wonder  in  hia 
eyes.  "  You  talk  of  all  these  Johnnies  as  if  they  were 
quite  real ;  they  seem  as  familiar  to  you  as  historical 
characters  like  Becket  and  Wolsey  are  to  English  school- 
boys." 

"  Indeed,  I'm  not  familiar  with  them — I  wish  I  were  ; 
but  they  are  awfully  real  to  me.  All  this  is  awfully  real." 
She  pointed  to  the  reliefs  carved  on  the  walls.  "  It's  awfully 
real  because  Egypt  was  the  beginning  of  everything.  I 
feel  that  it  was  the  nursery  from  which  we  all  sprang. 
Maspero  says  that  «  Egypt  is  the  mother  of  most  of  the 
ideas  that  have  ruled  the  world,  and  the  children  of  that 
mother  are  the  Copts.'  " 

"  And  I  feel  that  you're  awfully  clever."  He  put  his 
arm  tenderly  round  her.  "  I'm  getting  rather  alarmed." 

Stella  turned  to  him  quickly,  and  looked  at  him  with 
fear  in  her  eyes.  "  Don't  say  that,  dearest,  it  makes  me 
feel  I'm  a  bore."  She  sighed.  "  I've  wanted  to  see 
Upper  Egypt,  and  especially  Luxor,  for  as  long  as  I  can 
remember,  and  now  that  I'm  actually  here,  well,  it  seema 
too  wonderful."  She  linked  her  arm  in  his,  and  like  lovers 
they  again  wandered  slowly  round  the  great  building, 
looking  at  things  casually  and  quickly  because  the  girl  felt 
that  the  man  at  her  side  was  only  interested  in  the  magni- 
ficence of  the  masonry  and  the  gigantic  size  of  the  stones 
and  columns  ;  that  he  only  listened  to  what  she  told  him 
about  the  various  courts  and  sanctuaries  to  please  her  ; 
that  without  her  by  his  side  he  would  not  have  looked  at 
them  at  all. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

WHEN  they  returned  to  the  dahabeah  Nicolas  met  them 
at  the  gangway  with  the  announcement  that  Girgis  Boutros 
had  arrived,  and  was  discussing  some  important  business 
with  their  father.  Nicolas  watched  Stella  very  closely 
as  he  spoke  ;  he  saw  her  face  turn  a  shade  paler  and  her 


48  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

upper  lip  tremble.  She  turned  instantly  to  Vernon. 
"  Girgis  is  my  cousin,"  she  said  ;  "  he  is  a  cotton  farmer  in 
the  Fayyum  ;  he  will  interest  you,  I  think."  There  was 
no  time  for  more  talk  at  the  moment,  for  one  of  the  silent- 
moving  servants,  in  his  jebba  of  yellow  and  black  striped 
silk,  suddenly  began  clashing  a  dinner  gong. 

Before  the  second  gong  had  sounded  Stella  and  her  lover 
were  both  on  deck  :  it  was  an  ideal  lovers'  hour,  full  of  the 
sensuous  beauty  of  the  East. 

Vernon  noticed  the  exquisite  simplicity  of  Stella's 
dinner  gown  ;  her  slim  straightness  appealed  to  his  athletic 
eye  as  she  stood  outlined  against  the  violet-dark  of  the 
night  sky  ;  the  moon  had  not  yet  climbed  the  Theban  hills, 
but  the  first  evening  star  was  glowing  like  a  ship's  light 
above  them  on  a  high  mast.  While  Stella  had  been  dressing 
curious  thoughts  had  been  drifting  across  her  mind,  half- 
formed  thoughts  which  made  her  angry  with  herself,  for 
they  had  arisen  from  the  fact  that  the  things  which  the 
stranger  had  said  to  her  in  the  temple  had  opened  up  a 
sort  of  chasm  in  her  mind  as  regards  Vernon.  Quite 
unconsciously  she  had  asked  herself  the  question,  "  When 
Vernon  is  not  making  love  to  me  what  shall  we  talk  about  t 
What  have  we  in  common  ?  What  did  we  talk  about 
before  we  were  engaged  ?  Now  we  only  seem  to  talk 
about  ourselves.  Shall  I  bore  him  in  the  future  ?  Do  I 
even  bore  him  now  ?  "  Then  the  idea  that  she  might  be 
robbed  of  his  love  reduced  her  to  a  state  of  almost  nervous 
exhaustion.  Now,  standing  bsside  him  in  the  terrible 
stillness  of  Africa,  under  a  limitless  sky,  a  sky  whose  dark- 
ness gave  shelter  to  the  unseen  things  of  ancient  Thebes, 
things  which  find  cover  in  the  day-time  in  the  tombs  of 
Pharaohs  and  in  the  secret  places  of  the  sanctuaries,  but 
which  draw  ever  nearer  and  ever  nearer  to  human  spula 
by  night,  she  was  conscious  only  of  the  security  and  delight 
she  felt  in  his  near  presence.  What  did  it  matter  if  they 
never  talked  at  all,  when  their  silence  was  full  of  such 
eloquent  understanding  t 

The  feelings  Vernon  roused  in  her  she  did  not  understand, 
and  as  they  stirred  her  into  a  state  of  exaltation  she  inter- 
preted them  as  the  highest  love  a  woman  can  feel,  her  love 
for  the  man  whom  Fate  has  destined  to  be  her  other  half. 

"  Stella,"  Vernon  suddenly  said,  "  you  look  so  sweet, 
I  shan't  eat  one  bit  of  dinner  ;  you  really  haven't  any  right 
to  look  so  delicious.  I  must  hold  you  in  my  arms  for  one 
tninute."  They  were  standing  in  the  bows  of  the  boat, 
Which  were  curtained  off  on  all  sides  but  the  front,  BO  aa 
to  form  a  small  smoking-room  for,  the  evening  when  it  was 
Ihilly. 


49 

Stella  leant  gently  towards  him.  She  was  pliant  as  a 
river  reed,  and  so  slender  that  he  swore  he  could  scarcely 
feel  her  in  his  arms.  As  he  pressed  kisses  on  her  white 
throat  and  closed  eyes,  she  was  passive,  and  unconsciously 
responsive  to  his  demands.  Suddenly  they  started  apart, 
for  Girgis  Boutros  had  silently  entered  the  curtained 
enclosure. 

Vernon  looked  as  though  he  had  seen  a  ghost,  for  never 
before  had  Girgis  looked  so  curiously  Egyptian.  His  dark 
eyes  shone  with  anger,  his  white  teeth  gleamed  under  the 
cruel  smile  which  curled  his  clearly  cut  lips — Eastern  lips 
as  blood-red  as  the  scarlet  of  his  high  tarbush,  which  gave 
an  added  height  to  his  splendid  physique.  For  a  moment 
there  was  silence,  and  in  that  moment  Stella  knew  that 
the  two  men  would  one  day  hate  each  other. 

Quickly  regaining  her  composure  she  said,  "  Vernon, 
this  is  my  cousin  Girgis  Boutros.  Girgis,  this  is  the 
Englishman  I  am  going  to  marry,  Vernon  Thorpe." 

Girgis  inclined  his  head  but  the  quarter  of  an  inch,  he 
did  not  hold  out  his  hand.  Vernon,  who  had  not  yet  got 
over  the  shock  of  seeing  what  he  called  a  full-blooded 
ancient  Egyptian,  in  evening  dress,  suddenly  drop  down 
from  the  stars  (for  he  had  quite  forgotten  the  fact  that 
Stella  had  mentioned  the  coming  of  her  cousin),  said  to 
the  stone  image  with  flashing  eyes,  "  How  do  you  do  ?  " 
in  stiff  English  fashion  :  he  was  only  wishing  that  the 
image  with  moving  eyes  of  black  glass  would  jolly  well 
take  itself  back  to  wheresoever  it  had  come  from,  if  it 
was  from  some  Pharaoh's  tomb  or  from  the  mural  decora- 
tion of  the  temple  they  had  just  quitted,  and  leave  him 
alone  with  Stella. 

But  Girgis  did  not  go  ;  he  stood  rooted  to  the  deck, 
nor  could  he  speak,  for  his  brain  was  on  fire  and  his  pas- 
sions were  maddened  by  the  thought  of  what  he  had  seen. 

He  had  seen  his  cousin  Hadassah  (his  pure,  virgin  cousin 
as  he  had  thought),  his  uncle's  cherished  daughter,  in  the 
arms  of  this  red-faced  Englishman,  this  Englishman  who 
was  looking  at  him  now  with  all  the  contempt  that  an 
Englishman  shows  in  his  eyes  for  a  man  whose  skin  is 
darker  than  his  own.  It  was  impossible  for  him  to  believe 
that  Stella  had  not  lost  her  virginity.  She  had  certainly 
told  him  that  English  girls  knew  the  men  whom  they  meant 
to  marry  quite  intimately  ;  but  such  an  outrageous  thing 
as  a  lover  holding  a  girl  in  his  arms  and  kissing  her  before 
she  was  his  wife  was  only  possible  when  the  girl  had  been 
his  mistress. 

"  What  has  suddenly  brought  you  to  Luxor,  Girgis  t  " 
Stella  asked.  "  IB  anything  wrong  t  " 


60  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

"  I  have  told  your  father,"  he  said  ;  "  we  cannot  dis- 
cuss it,  if  you  please." 

Stella  smiled  and  turned  to  Vernon.  "  That  is  how  he 
speaks  to  me  when  anything  of  political  importance 
occurs."  She  turned  to  her  cousin  :  "  I  read  about  the 
disturbances  in  Asiut,  and  all  about  the  coming  election 
of  a  new  Mudir.  If  the  Copt  is  elected  there  will  be  no 
end  of  trouble,  won't  there  1  " 

"  He  will  not  be  elected,"  Girgis  said,  "  and  yet  there 
will  be  trouble." 

"  What  news  have  you  brought  t  "  "  Please  tell  me  : 
I  must  hear  it  all  eventually." 

"  You  are  a  woman.  I  cannot  tell  you,  if  you  please. 
But  the  English  will  never  allow  the  election  of  a  Copt  as 
Mudir,  even  in  Asiut." 

"  How  could  they  !  "  Stella  said  ;  "  you  know  quite  well, 
the  position  of  a  Copt  Mudir  would  be  an  impossible  one." 

"  Why  t  "     Vernon  asked.     "  What  is  a  Mudir  t  " 

"  A  Mudir  holds  a  high  executive  post  for  which  a  Copt, 
with  his  inability  to  rule,  is  totally  unsuited.  His  own 
life  would  be  in  danger,  as  well  as  those  of  the  authorities 
who  supported  him." 

"  Why  ?  "     Vernon  asked. 

"  Because  Copts  may  be  prosperous,  but  they  are  not 
popular,  and  my  cousin  knows  it." 

"  Boutros  Pasha  !  do  not  forget  him,  if  you  please." 

"  Oh  !  he  was  an  exception." 

"  There  may  be  many  exceptions  if  the  English  would 
give  them  the  opportunity  or  look  for  them." 

Vernon  listened  to  him  keenly.  So  Stella's  cousin  was 
anti-English  as  well  as  a  full-blooded  native  ! 

Stella  laughed.  "  Oh,  Girgis,  you  know  quite  well  the 
English  have  tried  them  in  lots  of  posts  ;  but  where  a  man 
of  action  is  needed  ...  a  man  who  can  command  ready 
obedience  from  his  subordinates  and  the  population  gener- 
ally, they  were  failures — you  can't  deny  it." 

"  What  chance  have  they  to  learn  to  command  when 
they  are  always  treated  as  subordinate? — subordinates  to 
Moslems  in  a  country  ruled  by  Christians  1  But  it  will 
not  always  be  so  :  the  Copts  have  the  brains  of  the  country, 
and  brains  will  win  in  the  end." 

"  If  they  have  no  executive  qualities  they  will  always 
have  to  use  their  brains  for  men  who  can  rule  ;  in  history 
that  has  always  been  the  case,  you  foolish  boy." 

"  To  you  I  may  seem  very  foolish,  but  wait  and  see : 
the  English  will  not  always  .  .  ."  he  stopped,  for  at  that 
moment  the  dinner-gong  sounded  for  the  second  time. 

As  they  walked  towards  the  dining-room,  Stella  said  to 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  61 

Vernon,  "  Please  don't  think  I  have  no  sympathy  for  the 
Copts  ;  I  have,  but  I  think  their  grievances  are  exaggerated  ; 
and  Girgis  knows  better  than  most  of  us  how  totally  unfit 
a  Copt  is  to  hold  the  position  of  Mudir  even  at  Asiut,  where 
nearly  all  the  inhabitants  are  Christians.  We  must  avoid 
politics  with  Girgis  ;  he's  awfully  wrong-headed." 

"  How  complicated  politics  are  out  here  !  I  thought 
there  was  only  the  Pan-Islamic  trouble  with  the  English,  I 
had  no  idea  we  were  so  hated  all  round." 

"  You  aren't  hated,  and  you  are  hated,"  Stella  said  : 
"  the  how  and  why  of  it  you  will  soon  understand,  and 
if  you're  just,  you'll  see  how  stiff-necked  the  British  are  ; 
I  sympathise  with  the  Copts  a  great  deal  except  when 
I'm  with  Girgis  ...  he  goes  too  far  ;  I  feel  very  English 
with  him,  which  angers  him  most  awfully." 

"  In  what  way  are  the  British  stiff-necked  f  " 

Stella  flushed.     "  Oh,  in  lots  of  ways  !  " 

"  Why  is  your  cousin  so  bitter  ?  "  he  said.  "  Does  he 
want  a  job  ?  " 

Stella  laughed.  "  Want  a  job  f  Oh  !  no,  it's  partly,  I 
think,  because  his  father's  people  are  Copts,  and  he  re- 
sents the  position  the  Copts  hold  in  the  eyes  of  the  Govern- 
ment :  they  fill  all  sorts  of  posts  as  clerks — in  the  admin- 
istrative section  of  the  service  there  are  far  more  Copts  than 
Moslems — but  they  hold  none  of  the  higher  posts  .  .  . 
none  of  the  well-paid  positions  of  authority.  Girgis  is  very 
wealthy — he  has  no  personal  grudge."  Stella  could  not 
help  smiling  to  herself  at  the  idea  of  Girgis,  with  all  his 
wealth,  wanting  a  job. 

While  they  had  been  talking,  Girgis  had  become  lost 
to  sight. 

Vernon  took  her  hand  in  his.  "  It's  awfully  hard  to 
realise  that  you're  his  first  cousin,  dear." 

"  Girgis  is  rather  a  dear,  and  you'll  soon  discover  that 
Stella  Adair  died  when  she  left  England  nine  months 
ago  .  .  ."  she  looked  at  him  with  passionate  eyes  .  .  . 
"  You  must  try  to  love  Hadassah  Lekejian  a  little, 
Vernon." 

"  You  darling  !  "  he  said,  "  I  only  wish  we  were  married 
and  alone,  just  you  and  I,  on  this  Nile  boat,  with  no  Copt 
cousin  or  gassing  strangers  to  take  you  away  for  one 
minute  from  me. 

Stella  laughed  happily.  "  Were  you  jealous  of  the 
stranger  in  the  temple,  dear  I  I  believe  you  were  !  " 

"  Of  course  I  was,"  he  said ;  "  he  made  me  feel  how  stupid 
I  was,  how  little  I  could  talk  to  you  about  all  the  things 
that  interest  you."  He  paused  and  then  said  quickly, 
"  You  didn't  use  to  care  about  all  these  things." 


52  A  WIFE  OUT  OP  EGYPT 

She  pressed  his  hand  and  whispered.  "  Always  be 
jealous  like  that,  dear  one." 

They  had  entered  the  dining-room,  and  Vernon  was 
amazed  at  the  sight  the  dinner-table  presented.  The 
low  lights.which  were  hidden  by  the  mass  of  white  blossoms, 
gave  an  air  of  mystery  to  the  room,  whose  walls  were 
covered  with  the  strange  figures  of  animal -gods  and  with 
long  texts  from  the  Koran  in  Arabic-writing  applique's 
of  gorgeous  hues  on  grey  canvas.  Egyptians  use  these 
decorative  texts  for  the  glorifying  of  their  ceremonial 
tents  on  festive  occasions. 

His  place  was  next  to  Mrs.  Lekejian,  who  talked  to  him 
in  English,  while  Girgis  spoke  in  Arabic  to  her  husband. 
A  Frenchman  attached  to  the  French  excavation  camp 
at  Assouan,  was  speaking  French  to  Nicolas  ;  they  were  old 
college  friends.  The  major-domo  of  the  dahabeah,  who 
was  an  Italian,  always  spoke  in  his  own  language  to  the 
Lekejians,  for  precautionary  reasons. 

Vernon  was  amazed.  He  had  never  heard  so  many 
languages  spoken  by  a  small  party  with  such  complete 
familiarity  before  ;  it  brought  home  to  him  his  own  limi- 
tations, for  each  time  that  any  one  of  the  party  addressed 
him,  it  had  to  be  in  English  ;  but  he  and  Mrs.  Lekejian 
found  plenty  to  laugh  at  and  talk  about.  He  asked  her 
if  she  was  as  keen  about  the  old  Egyptian  things  as  her 
daughter  ;  she  confessed  that  she  was  not.  "  My  garden 
has  been  my  hobby,"  she  said  ;  "  you  can  do  anything  here 
with  a  garden,  you  know,  if  you  have  plenty  of  water  .  .  . 
these  flowers  came  from  it  this  morning.  Stella  takes  all 
her  intellectual  tastes  and  talents  from  her  father — Syrians 
are  so  clever.  I  used  to  feel  very  stupid  amongst  them  at 
first :  they  can  learn  anything  they  want  to." 

"  You  can't  think  what  a  duffer  I  feel,"  Vernon  said  ; 
"  I  can  only  speak  one  language,  and  I  don't  understand  a 
single  thing  about  anything  I  soe  out  here  except  the  size  of 
the  buildings." 

Mrs.  Lekejian  laughed  her  girlish,  Irish  laugh.  "  Stella 
knows  enough  for  both  of  you,  I  think,  so  don't  feel  worried." 

"  Your  nephew  can  speak  French  and  Italian,  and  far 
better  English  than  ever  I  could  speak  French."  Vernon 
did  not  add  that  in  England  he  had  thought  a  good  linguist 
must  be  either  a  diplomat  or  a  waiter — both  had  to  learn 
languages  for  his  profession  or  business. 

Mrs.  Lekejian  saw  him  look  at  Girgis  long  and  seriously. 
Both  her  nephew  and  her  husband  were  wearing  their 
scarlet  tarbushes  .  .  .  Girgis'  gleaming  eyes  and  black 
head,  and  her  husband's  dignified  and  patriarchal  appear- 
ance, gave  a  very  Oriental  touch  to  the  scene. 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  53 

"  A  penny  for  your  thoughts  !  "  Stella  suddenly  said 
as  she,  too,  caught  Vernon's  absorbed  expression. 

He  started.  A  guilty  flush  deepened  the  delightful 
pink  of  his  fair  skin.  "  I  was  thinking,"  he  said  in  an 
undertone,  "  how  remarkably  good-looking  your  cousin 
is,  and  how  serious  he  is  for  a  chap  of  his  age." 

"  He  is  splendid-looking,"  Stella  said  ;  "  Did  you  ever 
see  such  wonderful  colouring  !  '  Sun-burning  '  isn't  the 
word  for  the  mixture  of  brown  and  brick-red  in  his  cheeks. 
.  .  .  Ho  leads  such  a  healthy  life,  you  know  ...  in  the 
saddle  all  day  long  under  a  desert  sun.  On  his  farm  they 
have  the  oldest  and  the  newest  of  everything  .  .  .  electric 
ploughs,  if  there  are  such  things,  and  camel-ploughs  made 
of  old  acacia-wood,  working  side  by  side — my  cousin  is 
very  different  from  the  ordinary  wealthy  Egyptian." 

She  was  anxious  to  let  Vernon  see  that  Girgis  was  not 
a  benighted  Copt  of  early-Christian  prejudices,  but  her 
lover's  eyes  gave  her  no  returning  smile,  he  was  looking 
at  her  cousin  as  though  he  were  nothing  more  human 
or  nearly  connected  to  himself  and  Stella  than  the  images 
of  the  animal-gods  in  scarlet  and  blue  and  orange  on  the 
walls  behind  them.  Stella  had  noticed  that  Girgis  during 
dinner  had  given  her  none  of  his  customary  polite  bows  ; 
in  his  eyes  there  was  a  curious  expression  which  she  had 
never  seen  before.  But  it  pleased  her  to  notice  how 
admirably  her  brother  and  Vernon  got  on  together :  they 
seemed  to  have  plenty  to  talk  about,  for  Nicolas  could 
tell  him  all  about  the  various  clubs,  though  Veruon  was 
surprised  to  find  that  he  did  not  offer  to  put  him  up  for 
any  one  of  them.  With  great  tact  Mr.  Lekejian  had  kept 
Girgis  talking  to  himself.  He  had  at  once  felt  the  atmos- 
phere of  antagonism  with  which  his  nephew  regarded 
his  future  son-in-law,  and  had  taken  care  that  Girgiis 
should  not  express  during  the  meal  any  anti-English  senti- 
ments. More  than  once  Stella  heard  her  father  telling 
him  to  be  less  prejudiced,  to  talk  as  he  really  felt,  not  as 
he  thought  he  would  like  to  feel  ;  she  could  not  hear 
all  that  passed  between  them,  but  she  could  catch  enough 
to  know  that  Girgis,  who  had  been  staying  with  a  cousin 
in  Asiut,  had  brought  the  latest  news  of  the  coming  elec- 
tion. Mr.  Lekejian  had  a  certain  amount  of  sympathy  for 
the  Copts,  who  considered  themselves  slighted  by  the 
Government ;  he  understood  their  grievances  just  as  he 
understood  the  feelings  of  an  Irish  Nationalist,  but  wide 
experience  had  taught  him  that  the  English  did  not  treat 
them  unjustly,  that  their  inability  to  hold  high  posts  of 
authority  was  as  much  regretted  by  the  English  as  by  them- 
selves. Neither  the  Copts  uor  the  Mohammedans  were, 


64  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

i?i  his  opinion,  the  least  capable  of  ruling  their  country  for 
their  country's  good.  Self-interest  was  too  deeply  en- 
grained in  their  natures  to  permit  of  anything  like  proper 
justice  to  the  fellahin. 

When  they  left  the  dining-room  the  moon  was  high 
enough  for  Karnak  to  be  illuminated  by  its  light,  so  Stella 
begged  her  lover  and  Nicolas  to  hurry  over  their  Arab 
coffee,  and  start  off.  Stella  did  not  ask  if  Girgis  would 
go  with  them  ;  she  took  it  for  granted  that  he  was  returning 
by  the  last  train  to  Cairo.  In  a  very  few  minutes  they 
were  on  their  way  to  see  the  ruins  of  the  mightiest  temple 
on  earth.  In  an  excited  and  happy  humour  they  engaged 
three  splendid  white  donkeys,  gaily  bedizened  with  tur- 
quoise necklaces  of  blue  beads  and  magnificent  silver 
chains,  and  three  tall  Egyptians  in  clinging  white  shirts 
with  turbaned  heads.  As  they  trotted  along  the  road 
to  Karnak,  which  looked  as  white  as  snow  in  the  moon- 
light, Vernon  felt  that  he  had  suddenly  been  transplanted 
into  the  book  of  Genesis.  The  stately  figures  they  passed 
were  so  completely  biblical,  the  things  they  did  so  illus- 
trative of  the  parables  in  the  Old  Testament. 

Their  donkeys,  after  the  custom  of  the  East,  preferred 
to  go  in  Indian  file,  so  conversation  was  not  easy,  but  h«t 
beard  Stella  and  Nicolas  now  and  then  speaking  to  tha 
natives  who  passed  them.  This  again  bewildered  Vernon'a 
conservative  mind.  In  London  Stella  had  been,  in  his 
idea,  a  beautiful  English  girl  who  had  little  or  no  connection 
with  the  East,  beyond  the  fact  that  her  parents  lived  in 
Cairo.  He  knew  that  lots  of  English  people  lived  in  Cairo, 
so  the  fact  had  conveyed  very  little  to  him  ;  he  had  seen 
her  mother,  who  was  a  charming  Irishwoman.  In  Luxor, 
Stella  seemed  a  different  being.  To  hear  her  chatting  in 
Arabic  with  turbaned  Orientals  riding  on  hideous  brown 
buffaloes,  or  with  veiled  women  carrying  ridiculous  bur- 
dens on  their  hidden  heads,  gave  him  an  uneasy  feeling 
that  she  was  moving  farther  and  farther  away  from  him. 

As  they  approached  the  avenue  of  stone  rams  lying  like 
crouching  beasts  at  the  foot  of  dark  palms  which  soared 
into  the  white  moonlight,  they  met  a  stately  Arab  in  long 
black  robes  ;  his  head  and  shoulders  were  swathed  in  white, 
liis  hands  folded  serenely  across  his  breast.  He  salaamed 
profoundly  without  uncrossing  his  arms.  He  was  not  a 
high  priest  of  Amon,  but  the  night-guardian  of  the  temple  : 
i  t  was  his  duty  to  show  strangers  round  it.  Nicolas  assured 
him  that  they  did  not  want  a  guide  .  .  .  that  they  would 
not  attempt  to  penetrate  into  the  heart  of  the  ruins  any- 
where alone.  "  Monsieur  Le  Grain  him  very  cross  !  To 
all  places  you  wish  to  go  I  will  go  too,  my  gen-le-man.  I 


A  WIPE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  65 

will  conduct  you,  but  I  will  not  disturb  you  ;  I  understand 
very  well." 

"  Tayib  "  (good),  Nicolas  paid  ;  "  show  us  the  way  :  take 
us  first  to  the  grand  colonnade  and  afterwards  to  some  very 
high  point  from  which  we  can  see  the  moon  shining  on  the 
buildings  ;  but  remember  we  wish  silence,  not  information." 

"  Tayib,"  the  sheikh  repeated  politely  ;  "  I  know  my 
gen-le-man,  him  no  tourist-man.  I  take  you  very  nice 
place  ;  moon  him  very  fine  to-night.  My  lady,  you  trust 
me."  He  bowed  profoundly  to  Stella. 

With  perfect  ease  he  glided  from  block  to  block  of  the 
fallen  stone  amongst  the  thousands  that  made  an  earth- 
quake of  ancient  marbles,  while  they  followed  him  with 
difficulty,  picking  their  way  across  the  ruins,  and  passing 
under  pylons  as  perfect  as  the  gateways  of  mediaeval 
castles,  and  down  avenues  of  leering  beasts,  while  above 
their  heads  there  soared  obelisks  and  giant  columns. 
Vernon  had  never  imagined  such  a  nightmare  of  fallen  ruins 
or  such  grotesque  imagery  as  he  saw  painted  on  the  walls 
and  columns  ;  he  felt  like  a  beetle  or  a  rat  skulking  among 
the  ruins  of  a  mightier  and  grander  world. 


CHAPTER  IX 

WHEN  they  found  themselves  in  the  "  Hall  of  the  Col- 
umns," the  mightiest  of  the  mighty  buildings  which  the 
great  Barneses  completed  and  set  his  seal  upon — even 
Vernon  gasped,  but  not  a  word  was  spoken.  The  sheikh 
took  himself  off,  as  silently  as  a  shadow,  to  a  comfortable 
resting-place  on  the  top  of  a  fallen  column.  He  curled 
himself  up  like  a  cat  and  began  to  smoke  ;  soon  he  was  fast 
asleep.  Stella  sat  down  between  Nicolas  and  Vernon  and 
slipped  a  hand  into  an  arm  of  each  ;  she  wanted  humanity 
close  to  her. 

For  a  little  time  they  were  afraid  to  speak.  The  silence 
which  surrounded  them  was  Egyptian  in  its  depths.  It 
was  a  silence  suggestive  of  the  distant  Sahara,  a  silence 
expressive  of  untrodden  sands  and  the  stillness  of  un- 
counted centuries. 

Nicolas  spoke  first.  "It's  curious,"  he  said,  "  how  the 
Egyptian  statues,  which  look  so  prim  and  so  unreal  by 
day,  become  so  terribly  human  by  moonlight.  I  thought 
that  row  of  Osirises  with  folded  arms  looked  amazingly 
human  as  we  passed  them.  They  were  like  a  guard  of 
living  giants  protecting  the  temple." 

Stella  shivered.  "  I  feel  as  if  a  thousand  things  had 
come  to  life  again,  things  with  unfriendly  eyes  that  follow 


56  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

us  from  point  to  point,  things  we  can't  see,  with  eyes  we 
only  feel."  She  gave  a  sigh.  "  It's  quite  comforting  to 
look  up  at  the  sky  and  see  the  friendly  stars  shining  down 
upon  us  between  the  columns — there's  nothing  sinister 
about  them." 

In  a  few  minutes  Nicolas  rose  and  left  them  ;  he  made 
it  his  excuse  that  he  wanted  to  measure  the  circumference 
of  the  largest  of  the  fallen  drums.  He  had  not  been  gone 
more  than  two  minutes  before  Vernon's  arm  was  slipped 
round  Stella's  waist,  and  he  had  taken  one  of  her  hands  in 
his  own. 

Stella  sat  in  exquisite  content :  the  magnetic  contact  of 
her  lover,  mingled  with  the  mysteriousness  of  her  surround- 
ings, rendered  her  incapable  of  clear  and  practical  thought. 

At  intervals  in  the  wonderful  silence  Vernon  pressed 
her  hand  a  little  closer,  and  she,  knowing  what  he 
meant,  leant  towards  him  and  raised  her  lipa  silently  to  his. 
Her  thoughts  were  not  wholly  of  the  man  at  her  side,  but 
his  human  presence  was  comforting,  and  the  very  practical 
turn  of  his  imagination  helped  her. 

"  What  are  these  dogs  making  that  infernal  barking 
for  t  "  he  asked. 

"  To  protect  the  farms  which  lie  far  out  on  the  Libyan 
desert — they  are  quite  close  to  the  hills.  Wolves  come  at 
night  and  attack  the  sheep." 

"Is  it  still  as  wild  at  that,  with  Luxor  lying  so  near  1 
By  Jove  !  it's  wonderful." 

"  It  is  very  wild  over  there.  Nicolas  and  I  rode  out  to 
see  a  Coptic  monastery — such  a  weird  old  place,  like  a 
collection  of  bee-hives  !  But  the  dogs  terrified  me  :  they 
were  quite  as  savage  as  wolves.  I  thought  they  would 
tear  the  donkey-boys  to  pieces."  She  started,  and  stopped 
speaking,  for  Girgis  Boutros  had  suddenly  appeared  in 
front  of  them.  His  eyes  were  fixed  on  Vernon,  whose 
lips  were  stealing  a  kiss  from  Stella's  throat.  "  Oh, 
Girgis,"  Stella  said,  "  how  you  startled  me  !  I  had  no 
idea  you  were  coming  to  Karnak.  How  on  earth  did  you 
know  where  to  find  us  ?  " 

"  Your  donkey-boy  is  standing  at  the  outer  pylon — he 
told  me  where  you  were." 

"  But  how  did  he  know  t  The  pylon  is  half  a  mile 
away  !  " 

Girgis  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "  I  do  not  know  :  how  is 
everything  known  in  Egypt  t  " 

Stella  shivered.  "  How  indeed !  I  always  feel  that 
everything  knows — even  the  buffaloes :  they've  known 
everything  since  prehistoric  times." 

Stella  felt  ill  at  ease  ;  she  saw  that  Vernon  mented  the 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  67 

intrusion  of  her  cousin,  and  did  not  mean  to  make  himself 
agreeable.  As  nothing  was  said  between  them,  and 
Girgis  evidently  did  not  intend  to  go  and  leave  them  to 
enjoy  each  other's  company  alone,  she  rose  to  her  feet. 
Though  she  made  no  noise,  the  sleeping  guardian  instantly 
uncurled  himself  from  the  flat  top  of  the  fallen  drum  of 
sandstone,  and,  gliding  over  the  mass  of  ruins  as  easily  as 
though  he  was  walking  on  a  polished  floor,  was  at  her  side. 

"  My  lady,  she  like  to  sit  up  very  high  and  see  all  the 
temples  of  the  world,  under  the  full  moon  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  Stella  said,  "  call  my  brother  and  tell  him  we 
are  going." 

"  Yes,  my  lady  ...  I  go  find  your  brother  very  soon  ; 
him  looking  at  lotus  obelisk. 

Stella  thought  Girgis  might  have  offered  to  go  with  the 
guardian  and  leave  her  to  enjoy  the  society  of  her  lover  in 
solitude,  but  he  did  not  .  .  .  there  was  something  about 
him  to-night  which  unconsciously  angered  her.  His 
silence  was  laden  with  antagonism,  his  eyes  expressed  the 
same  horror  at  her  lover's  intimacy  as  they  had  done  earlier 
in  the  evening  ;  she  felt  nervous  and  oppressed.  It  was 
quite  a  relief  when  Nicolas  and  the  guardian  re-appeared  ; 
even  then,  without  wishing  it,  she  found  herself  walking 
with  Girgis  some  little  way  behind  the  others,  she  was  con- 
scious of  having  obeyed  his  will. 

Suddenly  he  spoke  to  her  in  words  which  ought  to  have 
startled  her,  but  they  did  not — he  had  in  some  curious  way 
forced  his  thoughts  upon  her.  "  You  will  not  marry  this 
Englishman,"  he  said  ;  "  why  do  you  let  him  kiss  you  I 
Why  is  he  like  a  husband  or  a  master  ?  " 

Stella  stopped.  "  Why  do  you  speak  to  me  like  that, 
Girgis  1  You  have  no  right  to  !  I  will  marry  him  ;  he 
loves  me  .  .  ."  her  voice  trembled.  "  I  am  engaged  to 
him,  that  is  why  he  may  kiss  me." 

"  I  love  you  too,"  he  said,  "  but  I  would  not  insult  you 
in  that  manner.  I  would  give  you  everything  you  ask  for 
in  the  world  :  you  are  my  star,  I  will  follow  you.  If  you 
marry  this  man  you  will  be  untrue  to  your  owr  people, 
you  will  be  always  unhappy." 

"Don't — I  am  going  to  marry  Vernon — how  cruel  of 
you  to  say  such  things  !  "  Her  words  were  almost  a  cry. 

"  I  am  your  cousin,  and  I  would  not  despise  your  people 
...  for  they  are  my  people.  I  would  give  you  all  my 
moneys  to  help  to  raise  the  ignorant — you  can  be  their 
saviour  !  .  .  ." 

"  Vernon  does  not  despise  them — how  dare  you  say  so  ? 
Oh,  Girgis,  it's  so  cruel  of  you  to  speak  of  such  things  when 
I  was  so  happy  !  " 


58  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

"  He  already  despises  me,  and  I  know  it,  if  you  please, 
and  you  also  know  it !  You  are  destined,  like  the  Esther 
of  old,  to  save  your  people  ;  this  man  will  not  let  you.  If  he 
marries  you  he  will  separate  you  from  them  for  ever,  and 
do  his  best  to  make  every  one  think  you  are  English." 

"  You  don't  know,  you  don't  understand  ;  if  you  despise 
him,  why  shouldn't  he  despise  you  t  .  .  ." 

"  No,"  he  said,  interrupting  her,  "  I  hate  him  "  ;  and  as 
he  said  the  words  all  the  sinister  meaning  of  the  unseen 
forms  filled  the  temple,  and  all  the  graven  images 
which  looked  down  at  them  from  the  high  places  seemed 
to  echo  his  words  ...  "I  hate  him,  he  despises  your 
people." 

"  You  hate  him,"  she  said,  "  because  I  love  him, 
because  he  has  made  me  happy  T  It  is  unkind  of  you." 
Her  fear  of  his  anger  made  her  almost  conciliatory  in  her 
manner  of  speaking  to  him  ;  her  fear  was  for  Vernon. 

"  I  hate  him  because  he  will  make  you  unhappy,  because 
already  he  treats  you  ...  as  his  '  darling '  ...  he  does 
not  respect  you  or  he  would  not  do  it."  (He  used  the 
word  which  Orientals  in  Cairo  use  for  an  Englishman's 
mistress. ) 

"It  is  your  Oriental  mind  that  makes  you  think  such 
things."  Her  anger  was  rising.  "  What  is  the  matter  with 
you  to-night  ?  You  imagine  all  sorts  of  evil  things  :  I 
will  not  even  be  your  friend  if  you  cannot  behave  with 
proper  respect  to  me.  What  has  angered  you  1  " 

"  I  cannot  tell  you,  if  you  please  .  .  .  but  it  is  not  I  who 
do  not  treat  you  with  proper  respect,  for  I  saw  you  in  his 
arms  I  In  England  does  a  man  marry  the  young  woman 
who  allows  him  to  hold  her  in  his  arms,  the  woman  whom 
he  kisses  like  a  dancing-girl  1  Does  your  brother  know 
and  permit  him  to  live  t  " 

Stella  laughed.  Poor  Girgis,  with  his  Eastern  notions  of 
veiled  and  unseen  brides,  how  it  must  have  shocked  him  ! 
He  had  evidently  never  imagined  that  engaged  couples 
kissed  one  another — her  anger  cooled.  "  Of  course  he 
does,  you  foolish  boy ;  I  am  going  to  marry  him  ;  he  is  an 
Englishman  ...  in  England  lovers  are  allowed  to  kiss 
each  other — there  is  no  harm  in  that." 

"  I  am  not  a  boy,  if  you  please,  I  am  a  man  ;  but,  as  you 
say,  I  do  not  understand  !  The  English  are  very  improper, 
yet  they  are  proud  of  the  position  their  women  hold.  I  see 
no  modesty  in  Englishwomen  if  that  is  what  they  allow  ; 
you  should  not  have  been  educated  there." 

"  It  is  because  their  minds  are  so  modest  that  they  can 
do  these  things.  I  don't  believe  any  Oriental  could  ever 
understand  how  innocent  and  pure  an  English  girl's  mind 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  69 

is,  or  how  respectfully  her  lover  thinks  of  her  and  kisses 
her." 

"  Will  you  explain  it  to  me,  if  you  please  I  " 

"  I  cannot,"  Stella  said,  "  it  is  too  difficult ;  but  it  is  true 
— you  must  live  amongst  English  people  to  understand  it." 

"  It  is,  you  say,  because  an  Englishman's  mind  is  so  pure 
that  he  may  kiss  and  hold  in  his  arms  a  virgin  ...  if  it 
is  so  pure  why  does  he  wish  to  kiss  her,  why  does  he  wish 
to  hold  her  in  his  arms,  why  is  he  not  content  to  behave 
to  her  as  a  brother  or  father  behaves  ?  " 

"  You  contort  things  so  oddly,  you  see  things  from  such 
an  Eastern  point  of  view.  It  is  more  like  this."  She 
thought  for  a  moment.  "  A  man  who  wishes  only  to  drink 
a  little  wine  may  safely  do  it,  but  the  man  who  wishes  to 
drink  wine  to  get  drunk  must  not  drink  wine  at  all.  Now 
do  you  understand  ?  " 

"  You  think  an  Oriental  only  wishes  to  kiss  a  woman 
because  his  thoughts  are  sensual  and  carry  him  further  f  " 

"  Yes,"  Stella  said,  interrupting  him,  '"  he  does  not  kiss 
her  because  he  loves  her  as  an  Englishman  loves  her." 

"  I  have  never  been  in  England,  but  I  have  seen  the 
behaviour  of  many  Englishmen  in  Cairo.  I  think  they 
have  not  the  same  customs  as  Orientals,  but  when  they 
are  in  Egypt  they  have  the  same  minds  .  .  .  perhaps  in 
their  own  country  they  are  different  ...  I  do  not  know." 

By  climbing  up  a  mound  of  debris  which  had  accumu- 
lated against  its  side  walls,  they  had  reached  the  top  of 
a  high  pylon  or  temple  gateway.  Stella  gave  a  little  cry 
of  relief  and  delight.  The  wonderful  scene  which  had 
suddenly  unfolded  itself  to  them  was  bathed  in  the  white 
light  of  the  full  moon.  The  pylons  of  the  many  temples 
which  surrounded  the  great  mother-building  stood  up 
bold  and  free  ;  the  avenues  of  crouching  rams  and  lions 
looked  mysterious  and  sinister  ;  the  mud  villages  of  the 
desert,  under  the  gentle  moon,  lay  desolate  and  Pharaonic. 
In  the  far  distance  the  food-giving  Nile  lay  like  a  ribbon  of 
silver  stretching  across  the  irrigated  land. 

The  whole  world  was  serene  and  silent.  But  for  the 
deep  shadow  thrown  by  the  high  courts  at  their  feet, 
and  the  blackness  of  the  palm  trees  against  the  clear  sky, 
the  hour  might  have  been  midday  in  an  English  winter, 
for  there  was  light  with  a  total  absence  of  sun. 

They  found  seats,  and  their  talk  drifted  to  the  view 
before  them  an>i  of  the  suitability  of  the  houses  and  customs 
of  the  nath  es  to  the  ancient  buildings  which  surrounded 
them.  These  houses  added  rather  than  detracted  from 
the  general  picturesqueness.  It  is  the  Koran  again  we 


80  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

have  to  thank  for  that,"  Nicolas  said,  "  for  it  forbids  all 
changes :  everything  ought  to  remain  as  it  was  in  the 
Prophet's  time  with  the  true  believers,  which  means  that 
Eastern  customs  and  Eastern  dress  are  to-day  as  they  were 
six  hundred  years  after  Christ." 

"  What  a  jolly  good  thing  they  became  Mohammedans  ! ' 
Vernon  said.     "  They  look  ripping  ;  it's  like  living  in  the 
Bible  .  .  .  that  big  temple  might  be  the  temple  of  Solomon 
and  that  old  Arab  guide  one  of  the  high  priests." 

"  That  is  the  selfish  view  the  English  take  of  this  country," 
Girgis  said ;  "  they  do  no  care  for  the  progress  of  the 
people,  they  only  wish  the  country  to  remain  picturesque 
for  them  to  visit." 

"  Perhaps  it  is  rather  a  selfish  view,"  Vernon  said  good- 
naturedly,  "  but  the  people  seem  quite  happy,  and  per- 
fectly content — I  don't  see  why  they  need  change,  do  you, 
Stella  1  Progress,  as  you  call  it,  doesn't  seem  to  do  them 
much  good,  judging  from  the  specimens  we  get  in  trade." 

Girgis  did  not  let  Stella  speak.  "They  are  to  stand 
still,  and  bo  treated  like  picturesque  children  for  the 
English  to  govern  and  photograph  .  .  .  but  I  have  read 
of  nothing  that  can  stand  still,  if  you  please.  Everything 
must  go  back  or  go  forward  :  if  it  were  not  for  the  Koran 
Egypt  would  go  forward  ...  it  will  go  forward  without 
the  Koran.  .  .  ."  He  spoke  meaningly.  "  That  is  why 
you  English  like  the  Koran,  why  the  English  sympathise 
with  the  Mohammedans  and  ignore  the  Christians :  the 
advancement  of  the  Christians  would  mean  the  advance- 
ment of  Egypt,  but  the  English  do  not  advance  them, 
they  suppress  them  and  give  their  assistance  to  the  Moham- 
medan who  can  never  rude  his  own  country,  for  he  cannot 
progress ;  but  now  all  countries  must  progress  ...  it  is 
the  age  of  progress." 

"  Oh,  Girgis,"  Stella  said,  "  I  will  not  allow  politics  to 
be  talked  to-night."  She  spoke  laughingly,  but  she  was  in 
earnest,  and  her  cousin  knew  it." 

"  Yet  only  at  dinner-time  you  said,  '  Talk  politics  to 
me — in  England  women  are  interested  in  the  affairs  of  their 
country.'  You  will  excuse  me,  if  you  please ;  I  did  not 
know  you  were  not  speaking  the  truth ;  I  have  much  of 
your  customs  yet  to  learn." 

He  looked  so  politely  apologetic  that  Nicolas  said,  "  It's 
all  right,  old  chap,  only  you  must  remember  that  Mr. 
Thorpe  looks  at  things  from  an  English  point  of  view ; 
he  has  not  got  hold  of  all  the  fine  points  of  our  complicated 
scheme  of  politics." 

He  turned  to  Vernon  and  tried  to  make  excuses  for  hia 
cousin's  outburst.  "  You  know  Girgis  is  not  an  idle, 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  61 

theorist,  he  is  doing  all  he  can  for  the  progress  of  his 
country-people.  His  farm  is  quite  a  model,  and  he's 
making  it  pay,  too — what's  more.  Besides  improving  the 
land  and  the  agricultural  methods  of  the  fellahin,  he  pays 
himself  for  Christian  teachers  to  instruct  the  Coptic  children 
in  the  village  schools  on  his  estates  in  Upper  Egypt." 

"  Does  not  the  Government  pay  for  them  ?  " 

"  Only  when  there  are  a  sufficient  number  of  Christian 
scholars  at  the  school  ;  but  the  Christian  population  of  the 
district  is  allowed  to  supply  a  teacher  for  the  school  if  it 
wishes  to.  Girgis  is  one  of  the  few  wealthy  Copts  who 
sees  that  it  is  done  in  his  district  by  putting  his  hand  in 
his  pockets." 

"  The  Christians  pay  the  same  taxes  as  the  Mohamme- 
dans, but  they  don't  have  the  teachers,"  Girgis  said.  "  1 
only  do  a  little.  .  .  .  I  am  not  married,  I  am  rich,  if  you 
please  ;  it  is  very  simple  for  me." 

"  Do  be  fair,  Girgis,"  Stella  said  :  "  these  schools  were 
originally  endowed  as  Koran  schools  .  .  .  schools  where 
nothing  but  the  Koran  was  taught.  Many  of  them  were 
endowed  by  Mohammedans  for  that  purpose.  Now  that 
the  Government  insists  on  other  subjects  being  taught  .  .  . 
it  would  be  unfair  to  have  a  Copt  master  for  the  very  small 
percentage  of  Christian  scholars  who  attend  them.  The 
Christian  children  get  taught  all  the  other  subjects,  but  the 
Government  does  not  supply  the  religious  teaching — isn't 
that  nearly  it,  Nicolas  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Yes,"  Nicolas  said,  "  pretty  nearly." 

"  It  is  not  the  Christian  religion  itself  that  I  so  much 
think  about,"  Girgis  said,  "it  is  that  for  the  progress  of  the 
country  a  progressive  form  of  religion  amongst  the  govern- 
ing peoples  is  necessary  .  .  .  the  Koran  is  retrogressive  ; 
our  boys  must  not  grow  to  be  men  without  any  religion, 
they  are  too  savage  for  that,  and  so  if  they  go  to  their 
schools  they  will  have  the  Koran  or  nothing — that  is  all, 
if  you  please." 

"  Up  till  now  I  never  knew  that  there  were  any  native 
Christians  in  Egypt,"  Vernon  said ;  ...  it  seema  to 
me  that  they  have  some  cause  for  complaint  .  .  .  what 
do  you  think  ?  "  He  turned  to  Nicolas.  .  .  . 

"  The  English  have  a  difficult  time  of  it,"  Nicolas  said  ; 
"  and  I  think  the  Copts  should  have  more  patience  :  they 
certainly  possess  the  brains  of  the  country,  but  it  will  take 
them  many  generations  before  they  can  rise  above  the 
position  of  servitude  and  degradation  they  have  held. 
You  can't  imbibe  the  qualities  necessary  for  command, 
and  the  power  to  enforce  obedience  and  respect,  as  quickly 
as  you  can  amass  facts.  .  .  .  The  Copts  are  quick  to  learu 


62  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

new  methods,  new  customs,  but  for  centuries  they  have 
been  shut  off  from  all  positions  of  dignity  and  authority, 
BO  they  have  lost  the  governing  instinct." 

"  Are  all  Copts  anti-English  f  "  Vernon  asked. 

"  The  very  opposite :  the  Christian  papers  are  all  for 
the  English.  Girgis  is  not  anti-English  really,  he  knows 
what  England  has  done  for  the  country.  .  .  ." 

"  Would  the  Copts  rather  have  Moslem  rule  again  !  " 

"  Oh  no  !  "  said  Girgis  quickly.  "  We  only  want  justice 
from  the  English." 

"  Even  the  Nationalist  movement  was  anh'-Turkish 
once,"  Nicolas  said.  "  The  Pan-Islam  feeling  was  evolved 
out  of  it ;  the  uneducated  people  can  only  understand  the 
Pan-Islam  feeling  now.  It  was  a  party  cry  ;  they  were 
caught  by  it,  for  they  could  understand  the  old  teaching 
that  it  is  degrading  for  a  Moslem  to  be  ruled  by  a  Chris- 
tian :  the  educated  Nationalists  knew  how  to  appeal  to 
them." 

Vernon  lit  a  cigarette.  "  It  seems  to  me  that  people 
take  their  religion  out  here  much  more  seriously  than  we 
do  at  home." 

"  The  Christians  only  want  fair  treatment,"  Girgis 
repeated  ;  "  they  wish  to  share  equally  with  the  Moslems 
the  positions  which  the  Government  gives  to  the  natives, 
and  to  see  their  country  allowed  to  progress." 

"  But,  Girgis,  father  says  that  there  are  even  more 
Government  posts  held  by  Copts  than  by  Moslems." 

"  That  is  true.  They  are  the  poorly  paid,  humbler 
posts,  posts  which  carry  no  pensions,  the  posts  which  the 
Moslems  have  not  the  intelligence  to  fill." 

"  Then  it  is  a  case  of  £  «.  d.  after  all,  rather  than  religion," 
Vernon  said  laughingly,  "it  generally  H — human  nature 
is  the  same  all  the  world  over." 

"  Of  course  that  is  the  chief  point,"  Girgis  said — "  is 
it  not  natural  t — but  they  also  wish  that  under  Christian 
rule  the  Christians  in  Egypt  generally  should  be  treated 
better  socially ;  it  would  raise  them  in  the  eyes  of  the 
Mohammedans,  it  would  restore  to  them  their  self- 
reapeot." 

Stella  felt  her  cheeks  grow  warm  with  the  blood  which 
mounted  to  her  very  hair,  her  pulses  quickened.  What 
would  Girgis  say  next  t 

"  How  are  they  treated  f  "    Vernon  asked. 

"  As  outcasts,"  Girgis  said  ...  he  turned  his  onyx 
eyes  on  Stella,  he  saw  her  lips  tremble  and  the  blood  leave 
her  face  as  quickly  as  it  had  come  into  it. 

"All  Christians,  do  you  mean — the  rich  as  well  as  the 
poor  t  " 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  63 

Girgis  did  not  speak.  Vernon  looked  towards  Nicolas 
for  an  answer. 

It  was  Stella  who  spoke.  "  Nearly  all,"  she  said  very 
quietly.  "  The  English  will  not  receive  any  one,  you 
know,  who  mixes  with  the  natives  socially." 

"  Ah  !  there  you  have  it,"  Vernon  said  ;  "  it  is  because 
they  are  natives,  not  because  they  are  Christians."  He 
stopped,  for,  like  a  flash  of  lighning,  the  fact  faced  him 
that  Stella  was  what  the  English  would  call  a  native  !  .  .  . 
For  a  moment  his  blood  ran  cold  and  he  felt  as  though  he 
were  paralysed :  why  had  he  never  thought  of  it  before  f 
What  a  fool  he  was — for  Girgis,  her  full  cousin,  looked  as 
Egyptian  as  any  of  the  reliefs  cut  on  the  monster  columns 
of  the  temple  which  lay  bathed  in  the  moonlight  before 
them  !  Vernon  gazed  at  him  as  he  stood  on  the  top  of  the 
high  pylon,  his  fine  profile  and  perfect  figure  silhouetted 
against  the  clear  night  sky.  He  had  to  admit  that  Girgis 
was  beautiful.  His  thoughts  ran  quickly  over  his  short 
acquaintance  with  Stella,  and  his  first  meeting  with  her. 
She  had  been  his  sister's  devoted  school-friend — was  it 
possible  that  she  had  known  at  that  time  of  the  gulf  that 
lay  between  her  people  and  his  ?  He  was  sure  she  had  not ; 
he  was  convinced  that  she  thought  of  herself  always  as  an 
Englishwoman,  that  her  mother's  Irish  blood  was  so  much 
stronger  in  her  veins  than  her  father's  Syrian,  that  all  that 
was  Eastern  in  her  nature  had  been  wiped  out  by  her  up- 
bringing in  England.  Then  he  remembered  what  she  had 
said  to  him  only  a  few  hours  ago,  that  so  much  had  changed 
in  her  life,  that  she  had  almost  expected  him  to  be  changed 
too.  Poor  Stella  !  his  heart  was  filled  with  pity  for  her  ; 
his  strong  hand  sought  hers,  for  Nicolas  and  Girgis  had 
turned  their  backs  to  the  lovers. 

Stella  let  her  hand  rest  in  his  ;  she  wanted  his  arms 
round  her  and  his  whispered  assurance  that,  she  was  Stella 
Adair  to  him,  and  that  his  love  for  her  was  unchanged  ; 
but  she  had  to  remain  contented  with  his  sympathetic 
pressure  of  her  hand.  She  did  not  know  that  he  had 
suddenly  realised  all  that  she  dreaded  his  knowing ;  she 
was  unaware  how  much  of  the  true  meaning  of  her  words 
he  had  grasped — words  which  some  power  stronger  than 
herself  had  spoken.  Then  a  tumult  of  revolt  attacked 
her.  Why  was  she  ashamed  of  her  father's  ancient  race  I 
Why  was  she  ashamed  of  her  own  father  t  Why  was  she 
ashamed  of  being  Hadassah  Lekejian  1  Was  it  just  be- 
cause her  lover  belonged  to  the  race  of  prejudiced  rulers 
who  despised  the  East,  this  lover,  whose  mind  rarely 
travelled  on  the  same  plane  as  her  own,  but  whose  fine 
manhood  had  stirred  and  aroused  new  senses  in  her  being  t 


64  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

She  despised  herself  for  feeling  as  she  did — that  now  she 
was  in  Egypt,  she  was  her  lover's  social  inferior.  But  waa 
she  his  inferior  except  in  the  eyes  of  prejudice  ? 

She  could  not  say  that  her  present  inequality  in  the 
eyes  of  the  English  was  all  prejudice,  for  before  her  there 
rose  up  a  picture  of  Girgis's  mother's  friends  and  relations 
.  .  .  these  dreadful  overfed,  over-dressed  Levantines. 
.  .  .  How  could  Vernon  mix  with  them  ?  .  .  .  Her 
mind  revolted  at  the  idea  of  his  fairness  coming  in  contact 
with  women  whose  skins  were  oily,  and  whose  hair  was 
heavy  with  Egyptian  darkness.  If  only  they  were  not  so 
fat,  if  only  they  were  not  so  highly  scented  and  richly 
dressed !  She  thought  of  her  own  slenderness :  would 
she,  too,  one  day  look  Levantine  t  Then  suddenly  she 
was  comforted  by  the  memory  of  her  mother,  whose  Irish 
elegance  of  figure  was  still  girlishly  perfect ;  then  she  saw 
her  father  rise  up  before  her  mind's  eye.  He  was  not 
elegant  like  her  brother  Nicolas,  but  there  was  not  one 
ounce  of  spare  flesh  on  his  bones,  and  his  dignity  of  bearing 
gave  distinction  to  his  whole  being.  And  her  aunt, 
Girgis's  mother,  although  she  was  quite  Eastern  in  her  soft 
beauty,  was  no  fatter  than  the  majority  of  elegantly  dressed 
Frenchwomen  who  wintered  in  Cairo. 

All  those  figures  passed  like  a  mirage  before  Stella's 
mental  vision  ;  and  all  the  time  Vernon  held  her  hand 
lovingly  in  his.  But  a  cloud  had  fallen  upon  their  night  of 
clear  shining,  and  Nicolas  felt  that  it  was  time  to  suggest 
getting  back  to  Luxor.  He  captured  Girgis,  and  left 
Stella  to  come  as  slowly  as  she  liked  with  Vernon.  When 
they  were  alone  Vernon  was  dearer  and  gentler  than  Stella 
had  ever  known  him  ;  his  boyish  simplicity  touched  her, 
and  his  genuine  delight,  when  she  suggested  a  long  donkey- 
ride  the  next  morning  to  Thebes  or  to  the  "  Tombs  of  the 
Kings,"  made  her  laugh,  for  he  did  not  conceal  from  her 
that  what  thrilled  him  in  the  idea  had  nothing  to  do  with 
the  wonders  of  ancient  Egypt,  but  with  the  canter  by  her  side 
on  swift -footed  donkeys  across  that  plain  of  Arcady  which 
lies  between  Thebes  and  the  Nile.  Vernon  had  so  success- 
fully hidden  the  horrible  shock  he  had  received  at  his 
sudden  realisation  of  her  true  position  in  Cairo  that  Stella 
imagined  that  he  had  not  grasped  the  importance  of  her 
words. 

"  You  won't  let  Girgis  come,  dear,  will  you  t  "  Vernon 
asked.  "  Do  let  us  be  quite  alone  for  our  first  whole  day 
together  !  " 

He  shan't  come — I'll  tell  Nicolas  not  to  let  him." 
She  laughed  nervously.  "  Isn't  he  funny  the  way  he 
comes  f  " 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  65 

"  He  doesn't  come,  he  just  drops  down  in  front  of  us. 
I  never  saw  such  a  chap — he's  uncanny." 

"He  is  odd,"  Stella  said,  "  but  try  not  to  dislike  him, 
dear,  he  is  so  much  nicer  than  most  of  the  young  men  of 
his  race." 

''  He  hates  me  ;  I  can  feel  it." 

"  He's  jealous  of  you." 

"  Of  me  ?  "  Vernon  looked  astonished.  "  What's  he 
got  to  be  jealous  of  me  for  ?  I've  only  just  met  the  chap  !  " 

"  He's  jealous  of  you  because  I  love  you  " — Stella  spoke 
very  softly.  — "  and  he  imagines  he  loves  me." 

' '  Great  Scott !  he  doesn't  imagine  you  could  love  him 
does  he — that  damned  granite  monument  with  glass  eyes  t 
Confound  his  native  cheek  ! ' 

Stella  shivered  ..."  Oh  !     Vernon,  he's  my  cousin." 

Vernon  noticed  that  she  shivered.  "  So  he  is  ;  I  forgot 
.  .  .  Great  Scot !  "  The  last  words  were  spoken  slowly  ; 
then  he  lapsed  into  silence.  He  could  not  say  he  was 
sorry ;  something  hardened  in  him  !  .  .  .  the  man  had  no 
right  to  be  Stella's  cousin  !  Stella  had  no  right  to  see 
anything  of  him  if  she  was  sensitive  to  his  attitude. 

Stella  stopped  and  withdrew  her  hands  from  his  grasp. 
"  He  is  my  cousin,  and  he  is  in  every  way  my  equal.  I  am 
very  proud  of  him,  although  he  behaved  foolishly  to-night." 

Her  eyes  were  fixed  on  Vernon's  as  she  spoke.  "  Can 
you  bear  it,  Vernon  ?  "  she  said  sadly;  "will  your  love 
for  me  prove  stronger  than  your  inherited  prejudices  of 
racial  differences  ?  " 

Vernon's  eyes  did  not  flinch  under  her  earnest  gaze,  but 
he  answered  her  question  by  evasion.  "  What  do  you 
mean,  darling — strong  enough  for  what  ?  I  love  you,  that 
is  all  I  know." 

"  I  mean  that  Girgis  Boutros  belongs  to  my  father's 
people  and  that  I,  who  felt  like  an  English  girl  until  nine 
months  ago,  now  know  that  I  belong  to  my  father's  people 
too  ...  I  know  by  all  that  has  happened  in  these  nine 
months,  by  the  cruelty  of  neglect  and  scorn,  that  I  can 
never  betray  my  people,  that  I  must  always  belong  to 
them." 

"  I  wouldn't  ask  you  to  forsake  them  completely." 

"  You  might,  Vernon,  for  I  wanted  to  when  I  learnt 
something  about  my  position,  I  said  to  myself,  '  It  is  only 
for  a  little  time  ;  Vernon  will  take  me  to  England  ;  I  need 
never  see  or  hear  of  Copts  or  Levantines  or  Moslems  again  '  ; 
but  now  I  know  that  that  could  never  be  ...  the  man 
who  marries  me  must  accept  my  people :  can  you, 
dearest  ?  " 

She  looked  so  beautiful  with  her  pleading,  upturned  fare 


66  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

lit  by  the  moonlight,  that  Vernon,  still  only  understanding 
the  half  of  what  her  words  really  meant,  said  :  "  Darling, 
your  people  will  be  my  people,  and  my  people  your  people 
— why  let's  bother  about  the  subject  f  .  .  .  I  admit  that 
I  don't  understand  Girgis  or  take  much  to  him,  but  I  dare 
say  I  shall  get  to  like  him.  I'm  sure  he's  a  good  sort,  if 
you  say  so  ;  besides,  I  like  a  fellow  who  loves  his  job  : 
he's  awfully  keen  about  farming,  isn't  he  ?  I'd  rather  like 
to  see  his  estate."  Vernon  expressed  the  last  wish  merely 
to  please  Stella. 

ll  We'll  go,"  Stella  said.  "  It  would  please  father  if  you 
did  — he  thinks  an  awful  lot  of  Girgis.  So  many  rich  young 
men  of  his  class  care  only  for  horse-racing,  and  gambling, 
and  theatres  .  .  .  Girgis  loves  the  land,  and  all  that  he  can 
make  come  out  of  it." 

"  He's  awfully  handsome,"  Vernon  said  ;  "  he  looks 
aa  if  he  was  cut  out  of  granite." 

"  In  many  ways  he  is  cut  out  of  granite,"  Stella  said  : 
"  you'd  be  surprised  how  callous  he  is  about  individuals  : 
the  sufferings  of  the  poor  mean  nothing  to  him,  although 
he  is  doing  all  this  to  try  and  educate  them,  and  develop 
their  ideas  in  agriculture.  I  think  Egyptians  have  always 
been  without  pity  .  .  .  it's  been  wanting  in  them  ever  since 
the  days  of  the  Pharaohs,  who  looked  upon  the  people  aa 
BO  many  units  in  the  land  for  labour." 

"  Then  what  is  all  this  talk  about  raising  the  standard 
of  the  poor  t  " 

"  That's  for  Egypt,  that's  for  the  progress  of  the  country  ; 
Girgis  is  mad  on  national  progress." 

"  I  see,"  Vernon  said. 

"  Girgis  is  seized  with  the  desire  to  restore  the  glory 
that  was  Egypt's  ...  to  develop  her  riches,  to  raise  her 
poor,"  said  Stella. 

"  Curious  chap  !  "  Vernon  said  thoughtfully.  "  Is  he 
all  theories  !  Does  he  care  about  his  own  relations  t  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  Stella  said  ;  "  the  ordinary  Egyptian 
who  inherits  many  of  the  old  characteristics  of  his  race, 
as  Girgis  does,  for  he  is  far  more  Egyptian  than  Syrian, 
has  great  affection  for  his  sons  but  very  little  for  any  one 
else,  and  not  much  of  the  Christian  quality  of  pity,  for 
pity  only  came  into  the  world,  it  seems  to  me,  with  the 
teachings  of  Christ ;  but  most  of  Christ's  teachings  are 
forgotten  by  the  Copts,  poor  things  !  They  have  sacrificed 
Christ  for  His  Church." 

"  I  suppose  pity  never  did  exist  in  the  old  days,  did  it  T  " 

"  Christ's  pity  came  like  a  beautiful  and  tender  song 
from  heaven.  When  you  think  of  what  the  East  was 
when  Christ  began  Hia  mission,  how  extraordinary  He 


A  WIFE  OUT  OP  EGYPT  67 

must  have  seemed  ! — but  I'm  sure  I  should  have  loved 
Him,  for  I  believe  I'm  rather  socialistic  ;  at  least,  I  have 
been  lately." 

Vernon  looked  at  her  to  see  if  she  was  in  earnest.  "  You 
are  funny,"  he  said  ;  "  I  never  met  such  a  rum  girl,  you 
think  about  such  odd  things." 

"  Why  ?  "  she  said.  "  Because  I  love  Christ's  person- 
ality !  " 

"  No,"  he  said,  "  its  the  way  you  look  at  things." 

"  Then  don't  let  me,"  she  said  eagerly,  "  for  I  want  to 
be  just  ordinary,  not  extraordinary." 

*  Why  1  " 

"  Because  I  want  to  be  quite  like  an  English  girl  for  your 
sake.  I  could  never  forsake  my  people,  but  all  the  same, 
I  want  to  be  like  the  English  girl  I  feel  myself  to  be,  that 
I  thought  I  was  before  I  came  out  here." 

Vernon  laughed  heartily.  "  You  are  cutting,"  he  said  ; 
"  to  be  quite  English  you  think  you  must  be  very  ordinary 
and  entirely  wanting  in  originality — is  that  it  ?  " 

Stella  pinched  his  arm  lightly  by  way  of  an  answer. 
"  Here  we  are  :  there's  poor  Nicolas  holding  his  soul  in 
patience,  and  Girgis  contemplating  Egypt."  She  sighed. 
"  I  think  [every  one  should  have  a  lover  to-night,  don't 
you  ?  That  moon's  quite  wasted  on  those  two." 

He  stooped  and  took  hia  last  kiss  from  her  youthful 
lips  before  her  donkey-boy  brought  "  Lord  Roberts  "  for 
her  to  mount. 


When  they  stepped  on  board  the  Isis,  Mrs  Lekejian 
handed  Vernon  a  telegram  :  it  was  his  recall  to  Cairo.  His 
senior  officer  was  ill,  and  he  was  wanted  to  fill  his  place,  so 
the  morning  ride  to  Thebes  on  the  swift-footed  "  Horace," 
with  Stella  at  his  side  on  "  Lord  Roberts,"  was  postponed 
until  his  return. 


When  Stella  said  good-bye  to  him  in  the  morning,  Vernon 
saw  that  her  sadness  meant  more  than  the  mere  parting 
with  him  for  perhaps  only  a  few  days.  At  last  he  said, 
"  Dearest,  if  you  are  going  to  be  a  soldier's  wife,  you  must 
learn  to  bear  partings  better  than  this — I  might  never  be 
going  to  see  you  again." 

"  You  may  never  want  to  see  me  again  :  you  will  be  mix- 
ing in  Cairo  society,  you  will  see  for  yourself  the  way  we  arc 
'ooked  down  upon  ;  you'll  find  every  one's  the  same,  you'll 
never  stand  out  against  it."  Tears  filled  her  eyes  and  her 
voice  betrayed  the  depth  of  her  emotion.  "  I  did  so  want 


68  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

to  have  just  one  week  of  you  all  to  myself  before  you  heard 
us  discussed  in  Cairo." 

"  Dearest,"  he  said,  "  you're  exaggerating  things.     Don't 
be  so  foolish  ;  I  think  you  should  trust  me." 


CHAPTER  X 

DTJRINO  Vernon's  absence  in  Cairo,  which  eventually  ex- 
tended itself  to  twelve  days,  Stella  made  up  her  mind  to 
see  as  much  as  she  possibly  could  of  Thebes,  before  her 
lover's  return,  so  as  not  to  bore  him  with  hard  sight- 
seeing :  also  her  mind  would  be  too  fully  occupied  to  allow 
her  thoughts  to  dwell  upon  the  mysteries  of  "  Cairene 
society  "her  lover  would  be  having  unfolded  to  him.  That 
particular  twelve  days  were  the  happiest  in  her  life,  for 
in  her  sight-seeing,  she  had  the  companionship  of  the  tall 
stranger  whom  she  had  met  in  the  temple  of  Luxor,  the 
man  whose  sympathy  she  had  read  when  their  eyes  met 
at  the  supper  party  in  the  Arab  restaurant. 

Michael  Ireton  with  no  little  ingenuity  for  a  man  of  his 
direct  and  straightforward  nature,  had  contrived  to  get 
into  conversation  with  Nicolas  Lekejian  in  the  smoking- 
room  of  the  Winter  Palace  Hotel.  During  the  course  of 
their  conversation  Nicolas  had  discovered,  as  Michael 
Ireton  had  intended  that  he  should  do,  that  by  introductions 
he  had  presented  on  his  arrival  in  Cairo  he  knew  many  of 
the  best  families  in  the  English  society  there.  He  also 
discovered  he  was  no  mean  Egyptologist,  which  made 
him  a  desirable  companion  in  a  place  like  Luxor.  The 
very  morning  after  their  meeting,  Michael  Ireton  had 
learnt,  with  the  help  of  his  donkey-boy,  that  Stella  was 
going  over  to  visit  the  great  Valley  of  the  Tombs  of  the 
Kings.  A  sudden  determination  to  go  with  her  devastated 
him  ;  he  could  not  remember  when  he  had  wanted  to  do 
anything  so  much.  To  ride  through  that  hidden  valley 
which  lay  across  the  river  under  the  pink  sunlight,  that 
valley  lined  with  the  secret  mortuaries  of  the  eternal 
Pharaohs,  with  that  girl  by  his  side,  was  worth  striving  to 
do.  He  was  convinced  that  his  meeting  with  her  in  the 
temple  of  Luxor  was  the  result,  of  his  fixed  determination 
not  to  let  her  pass  out  of  his  life  ;  his  will  had  triumphed 
— he  had  found  her  and  spoken  to  her,  he  was  now  in  a  posi- 
tion to  see  more  of  her.'  Vernon's  presence  with  her  in 
the  temple  had  worried  him  once  or  twice.  What  was  the 
explanation  of  it  t — for  had  not  hia  friend  in  the  opera- 
house  told  him  that  neither  she  nor  her  people  mixed  in 
English  society  in  Egypt  t 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  69 

He  never  dreamt  for  one  moment  that  Stella  was 
engaged  to  the  man  :  Vernon's  evident  lack  of  interest 
in  the  things  which  she  had  seemed  so  keen  about  gave 
him  the  impression  that  they  had  not  much  in  common, 
although  they  seemed  to  be  on  intimate  terms  of  friendship. 

A  good  donkey-boy  must  be  a  good  scout !  Intrigue 
being  the  breath  of  life  to  him,  it  pleased  the  handsome 
Yussef  to  bring  his  master  all  the  information  he  could 
about  the  beautiful  young  lady  on  board  the  Isis.  He 
scouted  so  well  that  his  master  was  on  the  ferry-boat 
which  conveyed  Stella  and  Nicolas  and  their  favourite 
donkeys  across  the  Nile  on  their  journey  to  Thebes,  and  he 
managed  to  look  so  perfectly  innocent  of  the  fact  that  he 
had  waited  for  a  good  half -hour  for  their  arrival  that  Nicolas 
proved  quite  willing  to  let  him,  at  his  diffident  request, 
join  in  their  day's  excursion.  In  this  wise  he  managed  to 
spend  almost  the  whole  day  by  Stella's  side.  And  if  she 
found  him  such  an  interesting  companion  that  she  almost 
forgot  to  miss  Vernon,  was  it  to  be  wondered  at  ?  She 
soon  found  out  that  he  had  taken  up  Egyptology  as  his 
hobby. 

Michael  Ireton  :  very  broad  shoulders  and  strikingly 
powerful  physique,  added  to  six  feet  two  inches  of  height, 
made  him  seem  splendidly  big  even  in  a  land  of  tall  men. 
His  profession  as  mining  engineer  had  placed  him  since  his 
earliest  years  of  independence  in  positions  of  great  authority ; 
in  some  of  his  expeditions  through  Mexico  and  Brazil  he  had 
had  as  many  as  a  thousand  natives  under  his  command,  and 
had  controlled  vast  sums  of  money.  Now,  at  thirty -three 
there  was  nothing  little  about  Michael  Ireton  :  his  methods 
of  dealing  with  difficulties,  or  of  arriving  at  desired  ends, 
were  almost  primitive  in  their  directness. 

His  rough  sketches  were  perhaps  as  illustrative  of  his 
real  nature  as  anything  else,  for  some  of  them  were  full 
of  the  tenderest  effects  of  light  and  shade  :  the  indescrib- 
able light  of  Egypt  seemed  to  have  floated  on  to  his  paper  : 
they  did  not  seem  the  work  of  human  hand  with  paint  and 
water  ;  while  hi3  character  sketches  of  the  natives,  which 
he  dashed  off  with  lightning  speed,  sent  Nicolas  and  Stella 
into  screams  of  laughter.  They  were  life-like  in  their 
types  and  gestures,  and  showed  an  instinctive  conception 
of  their  natures. 

Their  talk  had  been  of  many  things,  while  they  were 
still  on  the  green  plain  which  is  every  year  watered  by  the 
inundations  of  the  Nile  ;  but  when  they  passed  into  The 
Great  Valley,  and  had  left  all  traces  of  human  habitation 
behind  them,  they  lapsed  into  silence.  As  they  rode  on 
and  on,  into  a  deeper  and  deeper  sense  of  its  unearthly 


70  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

desolation,  they  felt  lost  to  all  other  consciousness.  Their 
knowledge  that  the  great  dead  of  Egypt's  Great  Day  lay  in 
vast  tombs,  as  grand  as  temples,  under  the  pink  rock* 
which  rolled  on  and  ever  silently  on,  at  either  side  of  theii 
winding  road,  was  forgotten  ;  it  seemed  rather  as  if  they 
had  discovered  for  themselves  a  valley  of  glorious  light,  a 
valley  forgotten  by  the  world  since  the  day  when  the  fingei 
of  God  had  first  produced  Cosmos  out  of  chaos. 

Stella  became  to  herself  a  mere  particle  of  that  opal  light, 
her  material  body  had  no  consciousness,  and  Michael 
Ireton's  presence  by  her  side  did  not  disturb  the  illusion, 
for,  he  seemed  to  be  in  complete  sympathy  with  her  feelings, 
his  silence  was  full  of  spiritual  understanding. 

Later  on  in  the  day,  when  they  were  eating  their  lunch, 
on  a  picnic  spot  Yussef  had  cleverly  discovered  for  them, 
where  the  shadow  of  a  mighty  rockin  a  dry  land  was  gracious, 
their  conversation  flowed  again  more  freely.  Nicolas  had 
suggested  that  they  should  visit  one  of  the  most  famous 
tombs  in  the  valley,  but  Stella  begged  him  not  to. 

"  I  only  want  the  valley  and  the  light  to-day,"  she  said, 
and  turned  to  Michael  Ireton.  "  You  of  course  must  do 
just  as  you  like.  Would  you  prefer  to  leave  us  after  lunch 
and  go  your  own  way  ?  " 

"  I  would  much  rather  not,"  he  said  simply,  "  that  is 
to  say,  if  I  may  stay  t  I  don't  feel  inclined  to  leave  this  light 
for  all  the  wonders  of  the  underworld." 

"  I'm  glad  you  feel  like  that,"  Stella  said  contentedly  ; 
"  it's  so  nice  doing  things  with  kindred  spirits." 

Michael  Iretpn  felt  happiness  run  through  him  at  her 
words  like  a  quickening  fire.  "  Kindred  spirits  are  few  and 
far  between,"  he  said.  "  How  an  ordinary  tourist  would 
jar !  " 

"  But  we  are  ordinary  tourists,  we're  '  doing  '  the  Valley 
of  the  Tombs  of  the  Kings  for  the  first  time." 

"  Tourists  we  may  be,  but  not  '  >rdinary  '  ;  I  bar  that." 

Stella  laughed. 

"The  ordinary  English  tourist  hasn't  the  slightest  idea 
what  this  valley  meant  to  the  Egyptians,"  Nicolas  said. 
'The  ordinary  English  tourist  doesn't  even  want  to 
know  ;  ho  looks  upon  the  whole  thing  as  an  excursion." 

"  I  do  think  that  if  the  ordinary  American  tourist  is  the 
most  vulgar  in  the  world,  the  ordinary  English  tourist  is 
the  most  igqprant.  I'm  awfully  ashamed  of  my  race  some- 
times, aren't  you  1  "  Michael  Ireton  addressed  Stella. 

"  Ignorance  is  one  of  the  sins  even  the  English  cannot 
accuse  my  race  of,"  she  said.  "  I  often  think  it's  our 
want  of  ignorance  that  so  annoys  them,"  her  words  dropped 
acidly  from  her  lips. 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  71 

Michael  Ireton  looked  at  her  with  a  well-disguised  ignor- 
ance of  her  nationality  in  his  expression,  yet  Stella  felt 
that  he  knew  she  was  not  English,  and  that  for  some  reason 
of  his  own  he  was  making  her  speak  of  her  nationality. 
"Do  you  mean  that  you  are  not  English  t  "  he  said. 

"  No,  I  am  Syrian  ;  my  name  is  Lekejian."  She  said  the 
words  a  little  aggressively,  as  much  as  to  say,  "  There 
now  !  " 

"Do  you  live  in  Syria  ?  I  want  to  go  there  so  much, 
to  Baalbek  and  Palmyra  :  they  must  be  wonderful." 

"  I  have  never  visited  my  own  country.  I'm  almost 
as  much  of  a  '  tourist,'  "  she  smiled  at  the  word,  "  as  you 
are  in  Luxor,  although  my  father's  family  have  lived  in 
Cairo  for  many  generations.  I  know  shockingly  little 
about  Syria." 

"  You  ought  to  be  very  proud  of  the  influence  your  race 
had  upon  the  civilisation  of  Egypt,"  said  Michael  Ireton. 
He  turned  to  Stella  :  "  Wasn't  the  mother  of  your  fav- 
ourite King  Akhnation,  or  '  The  Living  Truth  '  as  he  called 
himself,  a  Syrian  f  " 

"  Yes,  I'm  always  proud  of  that,  for  history  attributes  a 
great  deal  to  her  influence  over  her  son.  It  was  she  who 
first  inoculated  him  with  his  very  modern  views  on  religion 
.  .  .  How  beautiful  his  belief?  were  !  " 

"  I  was  glad  to  discover  that  the  only  one  of  all  the  ancient 
deities  Akhnation  ever  had  carved  on  any  of  his  monuments 
after  his  conversion,  was  the  image  of  Truth  ;  even  then 
'  Maat '  is  only  represented  as  a  tiny  figure  held  in  his 
hand,  which  showed  that  it  betokened  merely  the  abstract 
idea  of  truth." 

From  this  allusion  to  her  favourite  king  Stella  led  him 
on  to  tell  her  more  about  the  imaginative  and  emotional 
influence  of  Syria  over  Egyptian  art. 

"  I'm  beginning  to  feel  quite  proud,  of  my  habitually 
despised  country,"  Stella  cried  delightedly. 

From  the  effect  of  Syrian  influence  on  Egyptian  art  their 
talk  turned  to  Egyptian  architecture.  Michael  Ireton 
confessed  that  it  did  not  give  him  the  pleasure  Greek 
architecture  did.  "  Its  total  lack  of  grace  leaves  yon 
cold,"  he  said,  "  its  only  emotion  comes  from  its  size.  Havo 
you  ever  seen  the  Greek  temples  in  Sicily  1  "  he  asked, 
his  eye  kindling  with  artistic  pleasure  at  the  thought  of 
them. 

"  No,"  Stella  said,  "  I  have  never  been  to  Sicily  ;  I  am 

keeping  that "  She  stopped  suddenly,  for  what  wa* 

the  use  of  keeping  them  for  Vernon  t 

"  I  should  like  to  see  you  there,"  he  said.  "  I  should 
like  to  take  you  to  Segesta  when  the  wild  flowers  are  at 


72  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

their  best.     I  often  used  to  wonder  if  the  Greeks  ever  saw 
their  temples  rising  out  of  an  ocean  of  purple  flowers.  .  .  . 

"  I  should  love  to  go,"  she  said,  "  for  flowers  give  that 
endearing  charm  to  scenery  which  is  entirely  missing  in 
Egypt ;  here  the  magic  '  light '  has  to  make  up  for  the 
flowers  ..."  she  paused,  "  and  it  does  cast  its  spell  over 
you  1  " 

"  Rather  !  "  he  said  enthusiastically.  "  Before  I  came 
to  Egypt  I  never  realised  that  in  Upper  Egypt,  at  any  rate, 
there  is  nothing  green  except  what  grows  with  artificial 
irrigation  ;  there  are,  now  that  I  think  of  it,  a  very  few 
'  wicked '  looking  plants  that  seem  to  find  suction  in  dry 
sand,  but  they're  Nature  in  her  most  unnatural  mood." 

During  their  conversation  Michael  Ireton  had  been  con- 
juring his  brains  how  he  was  going  to  manage  to  see  Stella 
again  the  next  day.  A  happy  chance  soon  presented  itself, 
for  she  had  lent  him  her  gold  pencil-case  to  write  down  the 
names  of  some  books  he  had  advised  her  to  read.  A  little 
to  her  surprise  he  closed  the  pencil  up  after  he  had  written 
down  the  names,  and  put  it  in  his  pocket.  Stella  was 
mounting  her  donkey  at  the  moment,  so  she  could  not  hold 
out  her  hand  to  claim  it.  As  he  put  it  in  his  pocket  he 
said  to  himself,  "  I'll  be  careful  not  to  give  her  a  chance  of 
getting  it  back  to-day,  which  will  necessitate  my  returning 
it  to  her  early  to-morrow  morning." 

As  they  cantered  home  across  the  green  plain  of  Arcady 
they  talked  lightly  of  ma:iy  things,  and  Stella  helped  him 
to  add  to  his  by  no  means  small  store  of  Arabic  words, 
and  gave  him  hints  about  their  pronunciation. 

When  they  were  saying  good-bye  he  handed  his  card  to 
Nicolas,  who  expressed  a  wish  that  he  should  accompany 
them  on  some  future  expeditions  if  he  cared  to. 

"  Care  to  !  "  he  said  ;  "  this  has  been  one  of  the  most 
enjoyable  days  in  my  life — it's  been  most  awfully  kind  of 
you  to  let  me  come  with  you."  He  looked  at  Stella  as  he 
spoke.  "  Finding  that  little  green  heart  certainly  brought 
me  good  luck.  I  attribute  it  all  to  that." 

"  My  precious  hegab  (amulet),"  she  said,  putting  her 
hand  in  his  as  she  used  the  Arabic  word  for  his  benefit,  as 
she  also  did  when  she  said  good-bye — "  A  ma  as-sallamah  ! 

"  It's  not  good-bye,  I  hope,"  he  said,  "  only  auj  wieder- 


(  73  ) 


CHAPTER  XI 

THERE  was  to  be  no  excursion  next  morning,  for  Nicolas 
was  suffering  from  a  little  touch  of  the  sun.  Stella  ex- 
pressed herself  perfectly  contented  to  prowl  about  Luxor 
by  herself  ;  her  father  and  mother  allowed  her  to  do  so 
because  in  Luxor  the  inhabitants  are  accustomed  to  seeing 
tourists  strolling  about  their  village,  and  in  Upper 
Egypt  the  natives  are  much  more  respectful  to  women 
than  in  Cairo.  So,  armed  with  a  fly-switch  and  her 
sketching  materials,  Stella  had  just  stepped  ashore  when  she 
met  Michael  Ireton  coming  towards  their  landing-stage. 

"  I  foolishly  carried  off  your  gold  pencil-case  last  night," 
he  said  ;  "  I  was  just  coming  to  return  it  to  you." 
Stella  blushed  behind  her  thick  veil. 
"  Thank  you,"  she  said  as  she  held  out  her  hand  for  it, 
for  while  she  had  been  dressing  in  the  morning  she  had 
said  to  herself,  "  We  must  see  him  again,  for  he  is  certain 
to  return  my  pencil,"  and  the  thought  had  made  her 
sing  more  light-heartedly — ah  !  how  full  of  enjoyment 
life  was  !  Her  conversation  with  Michael  had  set  a 
thousand  interesting  ideas  working  in  her  head  ;  his  sketches 
had  given  her  new  aspirations  ;  the  few  hints  she  had  stolen 
from  his  style  she  was  going  to  try  and  put  into  execution 
that  very  morning. 

"  Are  you  going  any  expedition  to-day  ?  "  He  asked 
the  question  with  a  request  in  his  voice. 

"  Not  to-day ;  Nicolas  doesn't  feel  very  well,   and  I 
thought  I  would  enjoy  a  quiet  prowl  about  Luxor." 
"  But  can  you  prowl  about  alone  1     Is  it  safe  ?  " 
"  Oh,  I  think  so  ;  I  will  take  my  donkey-boy  to  carry  my 
things,"  she  pointed  to  her  sketching  materials,  "  and  he'll 
keep  the  beggars  off :  set  a  thief  to  catch  a  thief  in  the 
East." 

"  May  I  be  your  donkey-boy  f  I  think  I  could  keep  off 
most  beggars." 

Stella  smiled.  "  I  think  you  could,"  she  said,  "  but 
aren't  you  going  for  an  excursion  f  " 

"  Not  if  I  may  stay  with  you,  and  I  promise  you  I  won't 
be  a  nuisance.  He  drew  his  sketch-book  from  his  pocket : 
"  I  want  to  sketch  too.  It  will  be  great  fun." 

"  Oh,  do,"  she  said,  "  and  let  me  watch  you  ;  I  only  do 
fittle  daubs  to  remind  me  of  the  things  I  like  best." 

"  So  do  I,"  he  said  ;  "  that's  why  I  want  to  sketch  this 
morning." 

"  Had  you  fixed  on  your  subject  T  " 


74  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

"  I  have  ;  let's  go  to  the  garden  of  the  Savoy  Hotel — 
I'm  staying  there.  I  want  to  make  a  little  sketch  of  the 
white -columned  arbour  that  hangs  over  the  river  ;  it's  a 
mass  of  bougainvillaeas,  and  it  looks  exquisite  against  the 
blue  sky,  with  the  yellow  sand  behind." 

"  Oh,  but  I  could  never  do  that ;  besides,  I  should  be  too 
shy  even  to  try  before  you — but  let's  go." 

"  Why  should  you  be  shy  with  me  T  "  he  said.  "  I 
wish  you  wouldn't."  His  grey-green  eyes  expressed  the 
genuineness  of  his  wish  »o  simply  that  Stella  smiled  and 
said  : 

"  But  if  I  can't  help  it !  " 

"  I  had  hoped  you  weren't  shy  with  me,"  he  said,  "  we 
have  so  many  interests  in  common  ;  but  it's  always  the 
same  thing,  my  wandering  life  has  left  its  mark.  I  make 
all  women  feel  ill  at  ease." 

"  Oh,  I  didn't  mean  that  I  felt  altogether  shy  with  yon 
but  your  work  is  so  strong,  so  unusual  that  I  couldn't 
do  even  my  poor  best  if  you  were  watching." 

"  Then  I  won't  watch,"  he  said,  "  but  if  you  like  I'll 
take  it  for  granted  that  you  are  only  a  beginner,  and  after 
you've  finished  I'll  tell  you  what  I  think  is  wrong.  Will 
you  allow  me  to  constitute  myself  your  teacher  1  " 

"  Of  course  I  will — how  awfully  kind  of  you  ! — and  I'll 
try  my  best  not  to  be  nervous."  ^ 

"  If  you  only  knew  how  little  you  need  be  nervous  .  .  . 
you  would  laugh  at  your  folly."  He  had  at  least  gained 
one  step,  that  if  he  pleased  her  as  a  master  she  might 
develop  a  desire  for  future  lessons. 

"  Do  you  mind  if  I  step  in  here  a  moment  ?  "  she  said. 
"  I  left  a  necklace  of  mummy-beads  to  be  re-strung  ;  I 
bought  it  here,  and  the  thread  broke,  they're  ..."  as 
she  spoke  they  stepped  inside  a  curios  shop  laid  out  like  a 
bazaar  with  almost  every  conceivable  Egyptian  form  of 
curio. 

The  native  produced  the  necklace :  it  was  made  of  the 
finest  and  smallest  blue  mummy-beads  Michael  had  ever 
•een. 

Stella  took  it  from  the  man  and  slipped  it  round  her 
neck.  Against  her  white  muslin  dress  it  looked  fresh  and 
delightful,  and  Michael  Ireton  showed  his  approval  of  the 
effect  produced. 

Then  they  looked  round  the  various  things  for  a  little 
time,  and  Stella  could  not  help  admiring  the  delicate  way 
in  which  Michael  handled  the  tiniest  objects.  His  big 
hands  were  pleasing  both  in  their  form  and  in  the  texture 
of  their  skin,  and  were  expressive  of  a  far  more  artistic 
temperament  than  his  dominating  personality  suggested. 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  75 

It  gratified  the  girl  to  find  that  nice  things  about  him 
kept  on  developing  with  their  quickly  growing  intimacy. 
He  was  at  the  moment  handling  a  terra-cotta  head  of  a 
figurine  ...  an  exquisite  thing  and  singularly  pure  in 
type  for  its  period.  It  might  have  been  unearthed  in 
Sicily,  or  even  Greece,  for  any  trace  there  was  in  it  of 
Egyptian  art. 

"  How  adorable  !  "  Stella  cried.  Michael  Ireton  was 
holding  it  between  the  first  finger  and  thumb  of  his  left 
hand  while  he  shaded  it  from  the  glaring  light  with  his 
right  so  as  to  see  its  outline  more  perfectly. 

"  Just  look  at  it  !     Isn't  her  profile  beautiful  !  " 

"And  the  soft,  feminine  expression  !  The  Greeks  knew 
all  there  was  to  know  about  beauty,  didn't  they  ?  " 

"  Almost,"  Michael  Ireton  said  ;  "  very  little  would  be 
new  to  them." 

Stella  turned  to  the  curio-dealer.  "  How  much  is  this 
little  head  1  "  The  man  had  watched  their  expressions 
of  admiration  and  the  look  of  desire  to  possess  the  terra- 
cotta in  the  girl's  eloquent  eyes  ;  BO  he  put  an  absurd 
value  on  it. 

Stella  laid  it  down  carefully  in  its  box  on  its  bed  of 
cotton  wool.  "  I  will  give  you  " — she  mentioned  about 
the  twentieth  part  of  what  he  had  asked — "  and  not  one 
piastre  more." 

"  You  insult  me,  madam,"  he  said.    "  It  is  an  antique, 


it  is  Greek,  pure  Greek." 
"  I  know  it  is 


an  antique,  but  I  also  know  what  broken 
terra-cotta  figures  of  that  size  are  worth.  ...  If  it 
were  whole  it  would  be  worth  what  you  ask." 

"  Not  a  head  like  that,  madam  ;  .  .  .  the  gentleman  he 
knows  very  well  that  it  is  Greek.not  Egyptian  ;  it  is  beauti- 
ful ;  you  must  pay  for  beauty,  madam."  He  looked  at 
her  companion. 

Stella  repeated  her  price  as  she  lifted  up  the  head  once 
more.  ..."  Will  you  take  it  ?  " 

The  man  quietly  took  the  head  from  her,  "  No,  madam, 
for  I  would  not  insult  the  artist  who  made  it  two  thousand 
years  ago."  He  laid  it  back  on  the  cotton  wool. 

"  Very  well,"  Stella  said,  speaking  very  rapidly  in  Arabic, 
"  keep  it,  but  you  probably  paid  the  Arab  who  found  it 
about  the  twentieth  part  of  what  I'm  offering  you  for  it, 
and  I  have  been  a  good  customer." 

She  walked  out  of  the  shop  with  Michael  Ireton  at  her 
side.  "  The  wretch  saw  we  wanted  it,"  she  said,  "  so  up 
went  his  price." 

"  Did  you  want  it  t  "  he  said. 

"  Yes,  frightfully."  she  said  laughingly. 


76  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

"  Let  me  go  back  and  get  it,  please  do." 

"  No,  you  mustn't  ...  I  couldn't  let  you  !  It  wasn't 
the  price,  that  really  didn't  matter  ...  he  thought  we 
were  ignorant  tourists — did  you  see  his  change  of  expres- 
sion when  I  spoke  to  him  in  a  torrent  of  Arabic  t  " 

"  But  I  do  wish  you'd  let  me  get  it,  some  horrid  vulgarian 
will  buy  it,  and  just  think  how  the  poor  thing  will  hate 
being  touched  by  ignorant  hands." 

Before  she  could  answer  him,  a  hand  was  laid  on  her 
arm  from  behind.  She  turned  quickly ;  it  was  the  curio- 
dealer  : 

"  Madam,"  he  said,  "  I  could  not  take  your  price  for  it, 
I  have  only  one  price  ;  but  will  you  allow  me  to  give  it  to 
you  f  .  .  .  Please  accept  it." 

He  held  out  the  box  in  which  the  terra-cotta  head  was 
carefully  packed  in  white  cotton  wool ;  there  was  no  lid 
on  the  box,  and  the  little  face,  so  classically  proud  and  yet 
so  seductively  feminine,  looked  up  at  her. 

Stella  held  out  her  hand — she  could  not  refuse  it.  "  Thank 
you  very  much,"  she  said  ;  "  I  will  indeed  accept  it :  you 
are  very  kind." 

"  The  pleasure  is  mine,  madam,"  he  made  a  profound 
salaam,  "  for  you  will  return  to  my  shop." 

When  the  man  was  out  of  sight  Stella  and  her  com- 
panion behaved  like  two  happy  children  over  their  treasure  ; 
they  looked  at  it  from  every  point  of  view. 

"  You  really  found  it,"  she  said,  "  it  ought  to  be  yours 
.  .  ."  her  eyes  met  his  ;  "  but  I  can't  give  it  up.  Let's 
hurry  on  to  the  garden  or  invent  stories  about  her  .  .  .  did 
you  ever  see  anything  quite  so  lovely  f  "  She  held  out  the 
box  impulsively  for  Mm  to  take  another  look. 

"  Yes,  I  have,"  he  said,  and  as  he  spoke  he  thought 
how  far  more  beautiful  the  living  woman  was,  and  he  longed 
to  tell  her  so,  but  wisdom  forbade  it,  so  he  added  : 

"  But  I'm  most  awfully  glad  you've  got  it." 

"  The  man  has  given  it  to  us,"  she  said,  "  because  he 
does  not  wish  to  offend  good  customers  :  mother  bought 
one  or  two  valuable  Arab  things  from  him  when  I  got  these 
beads." 

They  had  entered  the  grounds  of  the  Savoy  Hotel,  and 
he  was  guiding  her  to  the  arbour  he  wanted  her  to  sit  in 
...  he  wished  to  see  her  surrounded  by  the  brilliant 
masses  of  hanging  flowers,  he  longed,  to  see  her  without 
her  hat  on  !  He  wondered  how  he  was  going  to  manage  it. 

When  they  reached  the  spot  Stella  was  in  an  ecstasy  of 
delight ;  the  greenness  and  coolness,  the  mass  of  brilliant 
flowers,  made  it,  "  too  good  to  be  true." 

"The  atmosphere  of  this  particular  spot  strikes  me  M 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  77 

very  Roman — this  white -pillared  pergola-arbour  hanging 
over  the  water,  and  the  luxury  of  the  vegetation  covering 
the  steep  banks — we  might  be  sitting  in  one  of  the  famous 
villas  on  the  Bay  of  Naples  in  classic  times." 

"  Yes,  it's  simply  glorious.  Listen  !  that's  dancing  ! 
do  you  hear  that  dull  drum  ,  .  .  drumming  and  that 
thud  .  .  .  thud  t  "  They  listened. 

"  Some  Sudanese  is  dancing  on  the  deck  of  a  Nile 
boat." 

"It's  curiously  seductive  music,"  he  said,  " it  grows  and 
grows  on  one." 

"  I  know,"  Stella  said  ;  "  I  often  wonder  how  they  con- 
trive to  get  so  much  ..."  she  paused,  "  so  much  passion 
into  it ;  you  only  hear  a  dull  thud,  thudding,  and  an  oc- 
casional tink,  tink,  tinking,  and  yet  it's  full  of  Eastern 
passion." 

"To  an  extraordinary  degree,"  he  added  ;  "it's  very 


They  had  seated  themselves  in  the  arbour  and  were 
preparing  to  begin  their  painting.  Michael  had  taken  care 
to  place  himself  where  he  could  get  a  perfect  view  of  Stella, 
whose  background  he  had  quickly  selected.  Suddenly 
she  said,  "  I  think  I  will  take  off  my  hat ;  the  breeze  here 
will  keep  away  the  flies,  and  it's  such  a  treat  to  be  in  the 
fresh  air  without  one's  hat."  She  laid  her  white  topee 
on  the  seat  beside  her  and  passed  her  fingers  through  her 
hair  to  raise  it. 

Then  for  a  time  they  worked  diligently.  Stella  had 
selected  the  point  of  the  arbour  most  distant  from  them — 
it  made  a  beautiful  piece  of  composition  ;  she  had  asked 
his  advice  before  commencing  upon  it,  and  he  had  approved 
her  choice.  Their  talk  was  principally  about  their  work 
and  upon  the  subject  of  art,  but  occasionally  it  drifted  into 
more  personal  topics.  Yet,  there  was  never  the  right 
opportunity  for  Stella  to  mention  Vernon's  name,  nor  was 
there  any  reason  why  she  should  tell  him  of  her  engagement. 
They  had  so  many  subjects  in  common  of  abstract  interest 
to  engross  their  sympathies  that  the  more  practical  facts 
of  life  did  not  enter  into  their  conversation.  Michael  Ireton 
felt  that,  almost  a  stranger  to  her  as  he  was,  reckoning 
their  intimacy  by  the  number  of  times  they  had  met,  there 
was  nothing  any  one  could  tell  him  about  her  which  would 
add  one  iota  to  his  real  knowledge  of  her.  Her  mind  was 
like  a  river  of  clear  crystal  to  him,  a  river  in  which  he  had 
found  all  the  beautiful  things  he  had  been  longing  to  find 
in  human  companionship  since  he  was  a  boy. 

When  an  hour  and  a  half  had  passed  and  tell  a  at  last 
put  down  her  brush  with  a  sigh,  Michael  closed  his  sketch- 


78  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

book  quickly  and  rose  to  his  feet.     "  May  I  look  t  "  he 
said,  coming  to  her  side. 

She  handed  him  her  block,  and  waited  for  his  verdict 
nervously. 

"  I'm  not  going  to  flatter  you,"  he  said,  looking  down 
into  her  quickly-answering  gaze,  "  because  we're  going  to 
be  friends,  and  your  work's  too  good  to  spoil  by  flattery. 
You  don't  want  that,  do  you  f  " 

"  Flattery  f  Oh,  no  !  "  she  said.  "  Thank  you  for  know- 
ing that  I  don't." 

There's  nothing  to  thank  me  for,"  he  said.  "  It's 
the  truth  .  .  .  it's  far  from  being  '  school-girlish,'  as  you 
called  it,  and  you  know  it  t  " 

"  I  don't,"  Stella  said  humbly.  "  To  me  it's  awful  .  .  . 
it's  .  .  ." 

"  It  isn't  awful,"  he  said  quickly  ;  "  but  it's  full  of  faults, 
and  you've  got  some  tricks  that  must  be  corrected. 

He  sat  down  beside  her.  "  Now  look  here."  He  spoke 
in  the  most  matter-of-fact  way,  while  he  spared  her  no 
criticisms.  With  hungry  ears  Stella  took  in  every  word 
he  had  to  say,  and  asked  him  many  questions,  which 
proved  to  him  that  she  was  no  longer  afraid  of  him,  or  in 
the  least  shy. 

When  he  had  finished  the  lesson  she  said,  "  Now  may  I  see 
yours  t  " 

"  I  didn't  do  the  pergola  after  all,"  he  said  a  little  ner- 
vously. "  I  only  did  a  bit  of  the  river  with  these  fishing- 
boats."  He  opened  his  sketch-book  and  held  it  out  for 
her.  There  was  so  little  work  in  the  hurried  sketch,  that 
she  looked  up  at  him  in  surprise. 

"  I  was  idle,  wasn't  It"  he  exclaimed.  As  he  spoke 
a  leaf  of  the  book,  the  one  before  the  leaf  he  had  used 
for  the  sketch  of  the  boats,  fell  down,  for  Stella  had 
pulled  the  book  a  little  nearer  to  her,  and  it  had  escaped  his 
thumb.  As  a  perfect  likeness  of  herself  met  her  eyes  she 
uttered  a'cry  of  surprise,  and  a  vivid  blush  dyed  her  face,  for 
it  was  an  exquisite  likeness,  just  as  she  had  been  sitting 
in  the  arbour  surrounded  by  the  magenta  flowers  of  the 
bougainvillaea.  It  was  the  charm  he  had  put  into  the 
expression  of  her  eyes  and  mouth  which  made  her  feel 
embarrassed. 

As  she  looked  at  it  in  silence,  suddenly  she  knew  that 
she  must  tell  him  of  her  engagement  to  Vernon. 

"  Will  you  forgive  me  !  "  he  begged.  "  I  have  wanted 
to  paint  you  ever  since  the  first  time  I  saw  you  at  the  opera 
in  Cairo.  An  artist  is  a  persistent  animal  when  he  has 
an  end  to  achieve." 

Stella  blushed  again,  for  she  knew  that  he  had  known 


A  WIFE  OUT  OlT  EGYPT  79 

that  night  that  she  had  heard  the  cruel  words  of  his  com- 
panions in  the  Arab  restaurant ;  she  recalled  the  look  of 
sympathy  in  his  eyes. 

He  spoke  so  impersonally,  and  had  so  well  conveyed  to 
the  girl  that  his  sketch  of  her  had  only  been  made  from 
an  artist's  standpoint,  that  she  felt  greatly  relieved,  yet 
slightly  annoyed.  Perhaps  to  tell  him  of  Vernon  was  no 
longer  necessary. 

"  You  were  perfectly  welcome  to  do  it,"  she  said  a  little 
coldly,  "  but  why  didn't  you  ask  me  ?  It  is  extremely 
good." 

"  Because  you  would  have  been  self-conscious  .  .  .  and 
that  would  have  destroyed  everything.  It  was  your 
expression  I  wanted  to  catch,  the  expression  I  noticed 
when  you  were  listening  to  the  music  that  night :  you  had 
the  same  expression  while  you  worked." 

Stella  looked  at  it  again  :  a  feeling  of  joy  leapt  in  her 
to  know  that  she  was  so  lovely,  for  she  realised  that  the 
portrait  was  exactly  like  her.  "  Mother  would  like  so 
much  to  see  it,"  she  said.  "  Will  you  show  it  to  her  t  " 

"  I'd  be  delighted  to.  Am  I  forgiven  !  "  He  asked  the 
words  persuasively. 

"  Yes,  quite,"  she  said  ;  "  and  thank  you  so  much  for 
my  lesson."  She  had  risen  to  her  feet.  "  I  must  get  home 
now  ;  how  the  morning  has  flown  !  " 

"  When  will  the  next  lesson  be  ?  "  he  asked  boldly. 
"  You  should  try  some  sunset  or  early  morning  effects." 

"  Perhaps  we  could  manage  to-morrow  vcning.  If 
Nicolas  is  better  we  were  thinking  of  going  to  Thebes  in 
the  morning." 

He  did  not  ask  if  he  might  come  too,  for  something 
warned  him  that  if  he  did  the  girl  would  be  troubled  to 
know  how  to  answer  him.  The  sketch  he  had  made  of 
her  had  suddenly  raised  up  a  barrier  between  them,  which 
by  diplomacy  must  be  broken  down,  so  he  determined  to 
gain  his  permission  from  Nicolas  to  go  with  them  to  Thebes. 

When  they  arrived  at  the  gangway  of  the  Isis  he  handed 
his  ketch-book  to  her.  "  If  you  care  to  show  it  to  your 
mother,"  he  said,  "  please  take  it ;  I  will  call  for  it  this 
evening  some  time  ;  I  won't  want  it  until  the  morning." 

The  next  moment  he  had  left  her  standing  alone  with 
his  sketch-book  in  one  hand  and  the  little  box  containing 
the  head  of  the  Greek  Venus  in  the  other.  When  she 
crossed  the  gangway,  one  of  the  Sudanese  boys  com- 
menced brushing  the  dust  off  her  clothes  with  the  usual 
long-handled  ostrich-feather  broom.  In  doing  so  he  very 
nearly  knocked  the  box  out  of  Stella's  hands. 

She  turned  upon  him  impatiently.     "  If  you  had  broken 


80  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

that  curio  I  think  I'd  have  killed  you,"  she  said  with 
such  vehemence  that  the  next  moment  she  was  ashamed 
of  her  outburst  of  temper,  and  also  angered  at  the  sudden 
realisation  of  the  value  she  placed  upon  the  little  Greek 
head  of  a  nameless  woman  ! 

The  Sudanese  did  not  understand  ;  he  was  accustomed  to 
far  stronger  expressions  of  wrath  at  his  stupidity,  but  it 
was  the  first  time  the  gentle  daughter  of  the  house  had 
shown  the  slightest  trace  of  bad  temper. 

CHAPTER  XII 

MICHAEL  IRETON  did  not  see  Stella  when  he  called  the  same 
evening  for  his  sketch-book,  but  Nicolas,  who  had  almost 
recovered  from  his  slight  attack  of  "  the  sun,"  greeted 
him  with  charming  hospitality,  and  introduced  him  to  his 
mother.  Mr.  Lekejian  had  left  Luxor  the  day  before 
with  Girgis  Boutros :  his  presence  was  needed  in  Cairo. 
Mrs.  Lekejian  had  heard  her  son  and  daughter  speaking 
of  Michael  Ireton  ;  they  had  told  her  how  much  his  com- 
pany had  added  to  their  enjoyment  of  the  day  spent  in  the 
Valley  of  the  Tombs  of  the  Kings,  and  Stella  had  been 
perfectly  frank  about  the  painting-lesson  he  had  given  her 
in  the  morning,  and,  so  when  he  presented  himself  on 
board  the  Isis,  Mrs.  Lekejian  gave  him  one  of  her  genial 
Irish  smiles,  as  she  said  :  "  I  have  seen  your  picture  of  my 
daughter ;  we  all  think  it  is  extremely  good,  if  a  little 
too  flattering." 

"  I'm  glad  you  like  it,"  he  said  ;  "  I  will  do  a  larger 
sketch  from  it  for  you,  if  you  would  care  to  have  it  f  " 

"  Will  you  really  !  "  Her  bright  eyes  smiled  their  grati- 
tude. "  How  very  kind  of  you !  Her  father  wiU  be 
delighted — you've  caught  her  expression  wonderfully." 
Mrs.  Lekejian  noticed  that  the  man's  eyes  were  looking 
round  the  deck  drawing-room,  as  though  they  were  trying 
to  find  the  original  of  the  portrait.  "  My  daughter  is 
writing  her  weekly  letter  to  her  old  school -mistress  in 
London,"  she  said  ;  "  she  was  a  second  mother  to  her  for 
many  years,  and  Stella  is  devoted  to  her." 

Stella  had  intentionally  absented  herself  from  the  deck 
drawing-room,  as  she  could  not  help  feeling  a  little  uncer- 
tain about  their  growing  intimacy.  The  little  voice  which 
can  never  be  silenced  had  told  her  all  the  afternoon  that 
it  would  be  self-deception  on  her  part  to  assume  an  ignor- 
ance of  the  man's  very  evident  admiration  for  herself— and 
would  Vernon  like  her  to  see  much  more  of  him  ?  Her 
letter  to  Miss  MacNaughtan  was  scrappy  and  distrait,  for 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  81 

over  and  over  again  her  ear  caught  the  sound  of  Michael 
Ireton's  voice,  and  Mrs.  Lekejian  was  evidently  finding  him 
good  company,  for  many  times  Stella  heard  her  infectious 
laughter  ringing  out  like  a  girl's.  In  spite  of  her  deter- 
mination, she  could  not  help  seeing  his  well-shaped,  power- 
ful hands  holding  the  little  terra-cotta  head  of  the  Tanagra 
figure  between  two  fingers,  or  feeling  his  masterful  presence 
standing  over  her,  as  he  had  stood  in  the  morning  while 
he  criticised  her  sketch.  At  last,  angry  with  herself  and 
annoyed  with  the  Fates  for  having  taken  Vernon  away 
from  her  so  soon  after  their  re-union,  she  put  away  her 
writing  things  and  went  to  bed.  From  her  bed  in  the 
state-room,  she  could  hear  the  strange  night  noises  of  the 
East,  and  see  from  her  window  the  wonderful  stars  in  the 
heavens,  and  she  could  not  hear  the  voices  on  the  deck 
drawing-room.  But  she  did  not  sleep  until  long  after 
Michael  Ireton's  hearty  voice  had  called  out  "  Good-night, 
then  I'll  call  round  in  the  morning  and  see  what  you're  going 
to  do.  If  you  don't  want  to  go  out  until  the  cool  of  the 
day  I  will  give  Miss  Lekejian  another  lesson  if  she  likes — 
she's  going  to  look  upon  me  in  the  light  of  her  master." 

"  Thank  you,"  Nicolas  said.  "  We  don't  care  for  her 
wandering  about  this  place  alone,  and  mother's  not  much 
of  a  hand  at  sight-seeing  ;  it's  very  good  of  you." 

"  Not  at  all ;  it's  most  awfully  kind  of  you  to  take  pity 
on  my  loneliness." 

When  Michael  Ireton  was  out  of  hearing,  Mrs.  Lekejian 
slipped  her  hand  through  her  son's  arm  :  "  Let's  take  a 
little  walk,  dear.  What  a  nice  fellow,  and  how  inter- 
esting !  " 

"  Chance  acquaintances  are  often  the  pleasantest.  I 
got  into  conversation  with  him  in  the  hotel  the  other  day." 
He  paused,  and  then  added,  "  He  must  be  all  right,  for 
we  exchanged  cards  yesterday,  and  he  belongs  to  two  good 
clubs,  and  Professor  Eritep's  going  to  have  him  in  his  camp 
for  a  few  weeks.  He's  awfully  keen  about  Egyptology." 

"  He's  a  mining  engineer,  isn't  he  f  " 

"  Yes,  but  I  fancy  he's  made  a  good  deal  of  money  in 
rubber.  He's  taking  a  long  rest  for  such  a  young  man. 
He  says  he  had  a  bad  attack  of  fever,  the  first  he's  ever  had, 
and  was  advised  to  take  a  year's  holiday." 

"  He's  a  splendid  type — what  a  physique  !  " 

"  A  fine  physique,  with  fine  brains  at  the  back  of  it ; 
there's  something  very  simple  and  primitive  about  him, 
isn't  there  !  " 

"  Yes,  that's  his  charm  ;  he  strikes  one  as  a  man  who 
has  not  much  in  common  with  modern  society  ...  is  he 
married  ?  " 


82  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

''  I  shouldn't  think  so  ;  he's  not  mentioned  his  wife  if  he 
is." 

Mrs.  Lekejian  was  silent  while  they  took  their  last  turn 
forward  on  the  deck.  She  was  thinking  that,  although  ha 
seemed  to  be  a  good  many  years  her  daughter's  senior, 
he  was  much  more  the  type  of  man  she  had  imagined  Stella 
would  have  chosen  to  marry  than  Veruon  Thorpe  ;  but  she 
had  to  admit  to  herself  that  one  does  not  meet  a  Michael 
Ireton  every  day,  that  he  was  individual ;  so  of  course 
Stella  could  have  had  no  such  personality  as  his  for  her 
girlish  ideal :  she  felt  that  Michael  Ireton  might  have  been 
a  dangerous  rival  .  .  .  she  gave  a  sigh. 

"  What's  that  for,  mother  dear  ?  "  Nicolas  said. 

"  Oh  !  I  don't  quite  know,  my  son,"  she  caressed  his 
hand  affectionately.  "  I  was  only  thinking." 

"  Thinking  about  what  1  " 

"  About  Stella." 

It  was  Nicolas'  turn  to  remain  silent. 

"  I  think  Mr.  Ireton's  the  sort  of  man  who  would  have 
understood  '  things  '  better  !  He  has  a  wider  conception 
of  life." 

Nicolas  stooped  and  kissed  his  mother ;  it  was  their 
parting  for  the  night.  "Your  children  are  very  perverse, 
little  mother — perverse  and  foolish  ?  " 

She  knew  what  her  son  alluded  to.  She  pressed  his  cheek 
close  to  her  own.  "  You've  fought  the  fight  splendidly, 
dear." 

"  I  am  absolutely  fire-proof  now,  so  I've  something  to 
be  thankful  for."  There  waa  a  forced  gaiety  in  his  voice. 
"  No  more  burnt  fingers  for  me  !  I'm  going  to  stick  to 
work — there's  nothing  like  it." 

A  little  sadness  showed  through  his  mother's  smile  as 
she  said,  "  For  some  years  anyhow,  dear ;  and  you've 
always  got  me." 

"  For  ever,"  Nicolas  said  ;  "  unless  I  can  find  a  duplicate 
of  you  ...  if  I  could,  you'd  have  a  daughter-in-law  at 
once." 

"  I  don't  think  you  could  find  another  'me,'  dear,  for  I 
am  now  what  your  father  has  made  me.  I  was  a  silly 
scatterbrained  thing  when  he  married  me,  you  can't 
imagine  how  scatterbrained." 

"  You  darling,"  he  said  ;  "  you  must  have  been  lovely. 
Good-night." 


(83  ) 


CHAPTER  XIII 

MICHAEL  IIETON  rose  next  moruing  with  an  appetite  for 
life  which  kept  him  singing  snatches  of  odd  native  songs 
while  he  dressed,  and  thinking  thoughts  that  made  his 
big  being  tingle  with  an  almost  boyish  delight. 

He  had  never  been  in  love  before,  and  he  was  now  as 
wholeheartedly  under  the  influence  of  the  malady  or  Elixir 
as  any  youth  in  his  twenties.  He  had  found  the  woman  he 
had  been  looking  for  all  his  life,  and  he  was  going  to  have 
her.  Something  told  him  that  if  he  was  given  a  sporting 
chance  he  could  make  her  love  im — the  very  manner  in 
which  she  drew  her  eyes  away  from  his  sometimes,  and  the 
way  she  avoided  his  at  others,  helped  him  in  his  belief  ; 
at  the  same  time  he  recognised  that,  although  there  were 
passion  and  tragedy  in  her  wonderful  eyes,  she  was  sensi- 
tive and  highly  strung  to  an  unusual  degree,  that,  in  spite 
of  her  Eastern  ancestry  on  her  father's  side,  her  nature  was 
exquisitely  pure  and  virginal. 

Her  lasting  affection  would  only  be  won  through  the 
intellect,  not  by  the  senses.  But  how  hard  it  would  be  to 
see  her  and  be  with  her  in  the  exuberant  life  of  the  East, 
surrounded  by  that  light  and  atmosphere  which  sets  a  man's 
blood  tingling  and  makes  his  imagination  sail  out  to  shore- 
less seas,  without  betraying  his  feelings  for  her  !  As  he 
walked  down  to  the  little  landing-stage  where  the  Isis  was 
moored,  he  made  all  sorts  of  determinations  to  treat  her 
with  platonic  naturalness  and  so  win  her  friendship. 

Stella  waved  her  hand  to  him  as  she  saw  him  across  the 
gangway  ;  her  action  expressed  so  much  girlish  pleasure 
at  the  anticipation  of  another  of  Luxor's  glorious  days  that 
he  felt  it  easy  to  answer  her  in  the  same  light-hearted 
way.  "  Are  you  coming  to  sketch,"  he  said,  "  or  going  to 
Thebes  ?  " 

She  held  up  her  block.  "  Sketch.  Nicolas  mustn't 
go  out  until  it's  cooler." 

When  Michael  Ireton  was  beside  her  he  said,  "  How  do 
you  do  ?  "  He  was  not  going  to  lose  the  opportunity 
of  holding  her  hand  in  his  if  it  was  only  for  one  moment. 

"  Where  would  you  like  to  go  ?  "  he  questioned,  while 
a  glorious  feeling  of  thankfulness  to  the  gods  surged 
through  his  being.  It  was  strange  the  way  this  slim, 
almost  fragile  girl  had  the  power  to  affect  him .  To  maintain 
his  self-control  he  had  to  fight  as  fiercely  with  his  owi; 
nature  as  he  had  ever  fought  against  rebellious  natives  in 
primitive  lands  ;  but  he  did  it  BO  magnificently  that  Stellu 


84  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

comforted  herself  with  the  assurance  that  her  fears  of  the 
day  before  had  been  groundless. 

Do  you  know  what  I  think  would  be  delightful  t  " 
she  said. 

"  Tell  me,  and  if  it  can  be  done  we'll  do  it.  Isn't  life 
glorious  in  a  land  like  this  ?  " 

"  How  does  it  appeal  to  you,"  she  said  in  mock  serious- 
ness of  tone,  "  to  take  a  boat  and  idle  on  the  water  for  an 
hour  or  two  ;  we  could  get  some  nice  effects  on  the  river. 
If  Nicolas  had  been  well  enough  to  go,  we  might  have  taken 
our  lunch  and  ridden  through  Thebes  and  right  on  to  a 
wonderful  road  which  winds  up  to  those  rocks  on  the  top 
of  the  hills  until  you  reach  the  heights  of  the  Sahara." 
She  pointed  to  the  Theban  hills  which  lie  behind  the  plain 
where  the  great  city  stood. 

"  That  sounds  fascinating,"  he  said.  He  knew  that  her 
words  implied  that  she  could  not  go  for  so  long  a  time  with 
him  unaccompanied  by  her  brother. 

"  I  have  a  childish  longing,"  Stella  said,  "  to  sit  quite 
alone  on  the  Sahara  .  .  ."  She  paused.  "  I  want  to  hear 
its  centuries  of  '  silence '  rolling  up  like  a  mighty  ocean — 
it  must  be  awe  inspiring  !  Isn't  it  strange  to  think  that 
the  great  African  desert  lies  on  the  top  of  these  hills  ? 

"  Do  you  like  being  alone  1  "  he  said.  "  I've  lived  so 
much  alone  that  I  can't  do  without  solitude  :  I  never  know 
what  loneliness  is  except  in  cities." 

"  That's  just  what  I  feel :  being  lonely  does  not  consist 
in  being  alone,  it's  being  with  people  who  bore  you,  who 
don't  understand  your  interests,  isn't  it  f  " 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  "  but  that's  because  you're  intellectually 
minded :  ordinary  folk  would  rather  talk  to  anybody  than 
nobody." 

"  Is  it  1  I  only  know  that  the  loneliest  feelings  I  have 
ever  endured  have  been  in  crowds  and  at  parties."  She 
sighed. 

"I  am  always  'bored  to  tears'  at  parties,"  he  said 
lightly ;  "  I  avoid  them  like  the  plague,  while  being  alone 
I  often  find  too  exciting — do  you  know  what  I  mean  ?  " 

"  That's  exactly  what  I  feel,  only  I  never  actually  realised 
it  before.  .  .  ."  She  smiled  ;  her  whole  being  was  expres- 
sive of  complete  mental  sympathy. 

They  were  walking  together  to  where  they  were  to  take 
one  of  the  gay  little  pleasure-boats  which  flit  across  the 
Nile  like  butterflies  of  tropical  colouring  .  .  .  only  the 
present  enjoyment  of  the  day  was  in  their  minds,  and  the 
consciousness  that  nothing  they  enjoyed  or  noticed  would 
be  overlooked  or  unappreciated  by  either  of  them.  The 
man  was  keenly  conscious  of  all  that  their  enjoyment 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  85 

signified,  the  girl  was  not.     Nor  was  her  conscience  dis- 
turbed by  any  thought  of  disloyalty  to  Vernon. 

When  they  were  comfortably  seated  in  the  boat  and 
were  settling  themselves  to  paint,  Stella  drew  off  her  gloves 
and  took  out  her  paint-box  from  its  leather  bag. 

"  What  a  curious  ring  that  is  !  "  he  said  as  he  watched  her 
movements  :  "  I  noticed  it  yesterday.  Has  it  a  history  ?  " 
Having  no  precious  stones  in  it,  the  importance  attached  to 
the  ring,  although  it  was  on  the  third  finger  of  her  left  hand, 
had  not  dawned  on  him. 

Stella's  heart  stood  still ;  she  paused  for  courage  ;  then 
she  said  slowly  :  "  It  is  my  engagement  ring  !  " 

In  the  acute  silence  that  followed  Stella  knew,  though 
her  eyes  were  fixed  on  her  paint-box,  that  the  man  in  front 
of  her  was  struggling  for  recovery  from  the  blow  her  words 
had  dealt  him.  She  had  not  meant  to  tell  him  so  abruptly, 
even  though  she  had  assured  herself  that  his  feelings  for  her 
were  only  platonic. 

She  heard  a  long-drawn  sigh,  it  had  escaped  from  the 
depths  of  his  soul :  it  expressed  all  she  had  feared. 
She  could  not  be  deceived. 

"  Your  engagement  ring  !  "  he  said.  "  So  you  are 
going  to  be  married  ?  you  love  some  one  else  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  Stella  said,  "  you  met  my  fiance"  that  evening 
in  Luxor  Temple."  She  let  her  eyes  meet  Michael's — she 
was  compelled  to.  The  look  of  surprise  she  saw  in  them 
angered  her,  for  they  had  told  her  that  in  his  mind  now  she 
was  either  very  different  from  what  he  had  thought  her, 
or  that  intellectually  she  could  have  nothing  in  common 
with  Vernon — that,  from  the  highest  standpoint,  she  did 
not  love  him. 

"  He  had  to  return  to  Cairo  on  duty,"  she  said,  a  little 
hotly ;  "  he  is  a  soldier,  and  his  week's  leave,  which  we 
had  waited  for  so  long  and  had  planned  to  spend  at  Luxor, 
was  spoilt  by  the  illness  of  his  commanding  officer :  he 
had  to  return  after  he  had  only  been  in  Luxor  one  evening." 
Stella  had  spoken  quickly  and  with  an  uncontrollable 
nervousness  in  her  voice. 

"  How  very  disappointing  !  What  were  you  thinking 
of  sketching  ?  Yes,  that's  a  good  piece  of  composition. 
Let's  do  that." 

Stella  had  indicated  the  little  scene  she  had  hurriedly 
decided  to  paint.  How  thankful  she  was  that  while 
they  worked  there  could  be  silence,  for  the  man's 
casual  voice  hurt  her  more  than  any  blame  could  have  done, 
and  yet,  if  she  chose  to  deny  her  own  conscience,  she  could 
justify  herself  by  saying  that  she  had  only  met  him  three 


86  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

times  ;  that  they  were  practically  strangers  ;  that  she  had 
up  till  now  had  no  opportunity  of  telling  him  of  her  engage- 
ment to  Vernon.  But  her  womanhood  told  her  that  it  was 
a  lie.  Her  real  self,  the  self  that  the  man  in  front  of  her 
understood  so  well,  knew  perfectly  well  that,  on  that  even- 
ing in  the  Arab  restaurant  when  their  eyes  had  met  for 
the  second  time,  she  had  had  her  warning. 

After  twenty  minutes  had  passed,  the  longest  twenty 
minutes  Stella  ever  recollected,  Michael  Ireton  broke  the 
silence  by  saying,  in  a  voice  over  which  he  had  at  last  a 
perfect  mastery — he  had  half  a  sheet  of  note-paper  in  his 
hand,  which  he  had  taken  out  of  his  pocket — "  I  came 
across  this  when  I  was  reading  last  night ;  I  thought  it 
would  amuse  you,  BO  I  copied  it  out."  He  held  it  out  to 
her.  "  It  is  a  Ptolemaic  school-boy's  letter,  written  about 
two  thousand  years  ago." 

Stella  read  it  aloud  :  "  It  was  good  of  you  to  send  me 
presents  on  the  12th,  the  day  you  sailed.  Send  me  a  lyre, 
I  implore  you.  If  you  don't,  I  won't  eat,  I  won't  drink. 
There  now.  I  pray  for  your  good  health." 

"  How  deliciously  human  !  " 

She  looked  up  with  laughter-lit  eyes  :  it  happened  to  be 
one  of  her  most  adorable  moments,  it  was  her  expression — 
the  one  he  loved  best.  Such  a  fierce  desire  came  to  Michael 
Ireton  to  take  her  face  in  his  two  hands  and  kiss  it,  that 
he  said  abruptly,  "  Let  us  go  home  ;  that's  to  say,  if  you 
don't  mind." 

His  tone,  almost  cross  in  its  abruptness,  made  her  hand 
him  back  the  paper  a  little  nervously.  "  Certainly,  let's 
go  back,"  she  said  shyly  ;  "  boys  haven't  changed  much, 
have  they  !  " 

"  Human  nature  never  changes,"he  said,"  only  customs." 
The  true  meaning  of  his  words  was  conveyed  by  his  tone. 

In  a  very  few  moments  the  boatman  had  pulled  them 
to  the  point  from  which  they  had  embarked  and  they 
were  walking  silently  back  to  the  Isis.  When  they  reached 
the  landing-stage  Michael  Ireton  left  her  with  an  abrupt 
"  good-bye."  A  hard  anger  had  suddenly  possessed  him 
which  would  not  allow  him  to  behave  with  a  studied  in- 
difference to  the  fact  that  he  now  knew  that  she  was  en- 
gaged ;  a  fierce  anger  at  his  own  folly,  that  he  should  have 
allowed  himself  to  walk  blind -foldedly  into  a  trap — for 
centainly  it  was  a  trap — kept  him  silent. 

Love  had  set  its  trap  with  a  callous  cruelty  which  by 
Michael  Ireton  was  wholly  undeserved,  for  he  had  never 
flouted  Love  nor  had  he  scorned  it ;  neither  had  he 
dishonoured  it :  he  had  instead  reverenced  it  by  refusing 
to  put  a  false  god  in  its  place,  calling  it  by  the  name  ol 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  87 

Love.  And  now,  when  all  his  reserve  forces  had  been  let 
loose,  now  when  his  finest  passions  were  ready  to  worship 
and  enjoy  his  realised  ideal  of  womanhood,  Love  had 
struck  him  a  deadly  blow  ;  Love  had  trapped  him  only  to 
laugh  him  to  scorn. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE  next  morning  when  Stella  was  dressing  her  boy 
Yehla  brought  a  note  to  her  state-room  door.  She  thought 
it  was  probably  from  Nicolas,  as  he  was  in  the  habit  of 
sending  her  notes  in  the  morning  if  there  had  been  any 
development  in  the  arrangements  for  the  day  which  she  had 
not  heard  the  night  before,  so  she  told  him  to  hold  it  while 
she  finished  tying  her  neck-tie.  When  she  took  it  the 
handwriting  made  her  start :  she  had  only  seen  it  once, 
in  the  Ptolemaic  school-boy's  letter — it  was  Michael 
Ireton's.  She  opened  it  with  a  beating  heart.  \Vhat 
could  it  be  about  f  Something  with  reference  to  her 
engagement,  she  felt  sure.  But  it  was  not : 

"  DEAR  Miss  LEKEJIAN, 

''Will  you  forgive  my  apparent  rudeness  yesterday  morning 
sufficiently  to  allow  me  to  join  your  party  this  morning  ?  As  an 
excuse  for  any  future  lapses  from  conventional  politeness  ploase 
remember  my  long  absences  from  civilisation  and  be  charitable  to 
your  apologetic  savage. 

"  Yours  sincerely, 

"  MICHAEL  IRETON." 

When  Stella  had  finished  reading  the  note  and  was 
absently  wondering  what  she  was  to  do,  her  boy  said  : 
"  Khadim  (servant)  waits  an  answer,  nitt." 

"  Oh  !  does  he  1  "  Sella  said.  It  would  be  delightful 
to  have  his  companionship  all  day  at  Thebes,  and  how 
could  she  say  "  No,"  without  arousing  Nicolas's  suspicions. 
And  what  reasons  had  she  for  assuming  that  the  man  cared 
for  her  t — it  was  sheer  vanity  on  her  part ;  and  when  her 
thoughts  turned  to  Vernon  she  said  :  "  He's  enjoying  him- 
self in  Cairo,  his  letters  are  all  about  dances  and  fun." 
She  took  up  her  letter-block  and  scribbled  a  few  words 
which  sent  Michael  Ireton's  weather-glass  of  happiness 
flying  up  when  he  read  them. 

"DEAR  MR.  IRETON, 

"  Yes,  do  come,  I  should  be  so  disappointed  if  you  didn't.  I'm 
afraid  I  prefer  savages  to  civilisod  humbugs.  At  least  you  know 
what  they  want,  and  don't  want. 

"  Yours  sincerely, 

"  HADASSAH  LEKEJIAN." 


88  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

If  Michael  Ireton  had  fallen  in  love  with  Stella  Lekejian 
when  he  was  twenty  instead  of  thirty-six  he  would  in 
all  probability  have  kissed  the  paper  her  note  was  written 
upon  ;  instead  of  which  he  gave  a  packet  of  expensive 
cigarettes  to  his  weary -looking  bedroom-boy  and  made  up 
his  mind  to  enjoy  the  pleasures  the  day  would  bring  forth 
without  grousing  about  things  that  could  not  be  helped. 

The  day  proved  delightful.  More  than  once  Stella 
congratulated  herself  upon  her  wisdom  in  having  allowed 
him  to  come  with  them,  for  he  made  himself  so  amusing, 
and  contrived  to  set  her  mind  comfortably  at  rest  upon 
the  point  that  now,  since  he  knew  that  she  was  engaged 
to  vernpn  Thorpe,  he  was  capable  of  carrying  on  their 
friendship  on  a  purely  pi  atonic  and  intellectual  footing. 
Nicolas  rarely  left  them  alone  for  many  minutes  together, 
and  the  archaeological  interest  of  Thebes  was  so  absorbing 
that  it  allowed  very  little  time  for  talking  about  personal 
or  abstract  matters.  But  the  day  was  by  no  means  a 
negative  one,  for  it  only  bound  the  man's  feet  more  securely 
in  the  trap  which  merciless  Love  had  set  for  him.  He  saw 
more  and  more  convincingly  how  correct  he  had  been  in 
his  estimation  of  the  girl's  character.  There  was  the 
assurance  of  complete  affinity  in  their  intellectual  interests 
and  pleasures.  To  Stella  it  proved  that  very  human-and- 
intellectual  elements  can  be  found  so  perfectly  blended  in 
mankind  as  to  make  up  an  almost  ideal  companion.  His 
humour,  always  expressed  in  the  most  serious  and  apparently 
spontaneous  manner,  appealed  keenly  to  her  sense  of  the 
ridiculous  ;  and,  as  he  loved  to  make  her  laugh,  because 
laughter  brought  into  play  the  most  winning  touches  in 
her  mobile  face,  he  exerted  himself  to  amuse  her  in  a 
way  she  never  for  one  moment  suspected. 

For  the  rest  of  that  golden  week  in  Luxor,  Michael  Ireton 
contrived  to  spend  many  hours  of  each  day,  and  of  each 
star-lit  night,  at  Stella's  side. 

With  really  superb  control  he  had  never  allowed  the  girl 
to  feel  that  in  seeing  him  she  was  being  disloyal  to  her 
lover,  even  to  the  extent  of  permitting  a  man  for  whom 
she  herself  had  no  feelings  other  than  those  of  friendship, 
but  who  loved  her,  to  be  constantly  by  her  side.  Each 
night  when  he  tore  himself  away  from  the  seat  in  the 
bows  of  the  Isia  where  they  had  talked  and  thought,  and 
studied  the  mythology  of  ancient  Egypt,  Michael 
Ireton  knew  that  he  was  laying  up  for  himself  a  mountain 
of  suffering,  the  climbing  of  which  he  dared  not  contem- 
plate. Yet  so  sufficient  for  the  day  was  the  joy  thereof, 
that  he  was  willing  to  accept  the  debt  he  had  to  pay  for 
his  brief  cup  of  happiness,  or  rather  pleasure,  for  there  was 


A  WIFE  OUT  OP  EGYPT  89 

infinite  sadness  in  it.  Even  when  they  parted,  he  managed 
to  hide  from  Stella  his  real  feelings  ;  for  he  spoke  light- 
heartedly  of  their  probable  meeting  later  on  in  Cairo  ;  he 
was  going  in  the  interval  to  Professor  Eritep's  camp  at 
Abydos,  where  a  site  of  prehistoric  interest  was  being 
excavated. 

On  their  last  evening  together  they  lighted  upon  a  topic 
of  conversation  which  was  to  bear  fruit  in  a  curious  way  in 
Stella's  future  life.  They  were  referring  to  a  conversation 
Stella  had  had  with  a  Coptic  girl  of  about  fifteen  years  of 
age  who  had  placed  herself  near  them  when  they  were 
eating  their  lunch  in  the  ruins  of  the  only  building  of  a 
domestic  nature  left  standing  in  Thebes  to-day.  Stella 
had  asked  the  girl  if  she  could  read  and  she  had  answered 
proudly  that  she  could.  Stella  then  asked  her  what  the 
little  blue  cross  meant  that  was  tattooed  on  her  wrist ;  she 
knew  its  significance,  but  she  wished  to  find  out  if  the  girl 
did.  She  explained  that  it  was  put  there  when  she  was  a 
little  child  to  show  that  she  was  a  Christian.  Stella  asked 
her  if  she  knew  why  a  cross  was  a  token  of  Christianity. 

The  girl  shook  her  heard  :  "  No,  sitt." 

"  Do  you  not  know  anything  about  the  story  of  the  Crosi 
and  Who  died  upon  it  1  " 

"  No,  sitt"  and  the  girl  shook  her  head  gravely. 

Michael  Ireton  had  made  a  quick  sketch  of  the  girl,  who 
was  a  typical  Copt,  with  tragic  eyes  and  an  aquiline  nose. 
When  they  were  looking  over  his  sketch-book  the  subject 
of  the  child's  general  ignorance  and  total  indifference  to 
the  meaning  of  the  cross  which  she  so  glibly  said  attested 
her  right  to  be  termed  a  Christian,  that  Stella  said,  "  Please 
don't  laugh  if  I  tell  you  that  I  have  been  nursing  a  great 
ambition,  ever  since  I  returned  to  Egypt,  about  this  very 
subject." 

"  May  I  hear  it  ?  " 

"  You'll  think  it  foolish,  perhaps,  and  unpractical,  but 
the  desire  to  carry  it  out  always  comes  up  again  and  again. 

She  was  silent  for  a  moment. 

"  I  never  give  up  a  thing  I  want  to  do,  without  a  big 
fight.  Have  you  tried  .  .  .1" 

"  It's  very  difficult :  I  want  to  work  in  a  practical 
way  .  .  ."  It  sounds  so  grand  to  say  that  I  want  to  work 
for  the  elevation  of  the  Coptic  women  in  Egypt,  but  that's 
what  I  do  mean.  I  don't  mean  by  giving  big  sums  of 
money — father  does  that — but  by  teaching  them  myself 
the  simplest  things  about  .  .  .  well  .  .  .  about  .  .  .  about 
the  self-respect  of  womanhood,  and  the  virtue  of  cleanli- 
ness and  .  .  ."  she  looked  at  him  for  response,  and  in  his 
eyea  she  found  all  that  she  needed. 


&0  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

"  Then  why  don't  you  do  it  t  "  he  said,  "  who  could  do 
it  better  with  your  .  .  .  with  your  intimate  knowledge  of 
their  language,  and  also  with  what  I  should  think  is  ex- 
tremely necessary — an  intimacy  with  their  most  sacred 
superstitions — you  would  be  able  to  do  magnificent  work." 
He  looked  pleased  with  the  idea.  "  Make  a  fight  for  it," 
he  said  ;  "  don't  let  really  surmountable  difficulties  be 
magnified  into  insurmountable  ones." 

For  a  few  moments  both  the  man's  mind  and  the  girl's 
were  lost  in  thought,  but  they  were  travelling  on  the  same 
road. 

"  Would  yovx  j other  allow  you  to  do  it  1  " 

Stella  knew  by  the  expression  of  his  eyes  and  voice  that 
he  really  meant,  "  Would  your  lover  f  " 

"  Yes,  in  time  I  think  he  would,"  she  said,  "  when  I  am 
a  little  older ;  but  it  is  all  out  of  the  question  now — I  feel 
that  it  is  quite  hopeless." 

"  Your  marriage  ?  "  He  forced  the  words  out  of  him- 
self in  a  way  which  made  the  colour  mount  to  Stella's 
cheeks. 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  "  Vernon  hates  my  having  the  slightest 
connection  with  anything  he  calls  '  native  '." 

In  the  deep  silence  Michael  Ireton  heard  the  girl's  quicker 
breathing. 

"  Of  course  as  a  soldier's  wife  you  would  not  have  much 
opportunity."  He  rose  from -his  seat  beside  her  and  leaned 
over  the  bows  of  the  boat :  something  stronger  than  his 
own  self-control  would  be  required,  if  he  sat  by  her  side  any 
longer,  to  prevent  him  from  taking  her  in  his  arms  ;  the 
only  things  to  do  was  to  leave  her.  Stella  sat  on  her  com- 
fortable seat  surrounded  by  soft  cushions,  but  they  seemed 
made  of  thorns — she  felt  that  the  air  was  quickened  with 
a  new  force,  a  force  which  was  almost  unbearable.  The 
feeling  was  purely  psychic,  for  not  one  word  had  been 
said  to  produce  it,  and  in  Michael  Ireton's  voice  anything 
but  tenderness  was  expressed.  At  the  moment  he  was 
clinging  to  every  civilised  quality  that  primitive  man  has 
adopted  to  help  him  to  hide  his  strongest  passions.  He 
knew  that  the  girl  would  scorn  him  for  ever  if  be  behaved 
dishonourably  to  her  trust  in  him  as  a  chosen  friend,  and 
that  he  would  consider  himself  a  cad  if  he  did  ;  so,  in  a 
voice  which  had  recovered  its  habitual  friendly  tone, 
he  said  :  "  I  hate  good-byes,  so  I'm  only  going  to  say 
good-night.  I'm  off."  He  held  out  his  hand  ;  Stella  put 
hers  limply  in  his.  An  awful  sense  of  numbness  had  come 
over  her  with  his  words. 

"  Good-bye,"  she  said,  "  and  thank  you  a  thousand  time* 
for  all  my  lessons  ;  I  shall  miss  them." 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  91 

"  It's  I  who  have  to  thank  you,"  he  said  with  measured 
politeness,  "  it's  been  a  delightful  week."  His  voice  waa 
so  coldly  conventional  that  Stella  felt  her  numbness  in- 
creasing. Then  suddenly  he  raised  her  hand  to  his  lips  and 
with  a  tender  fierceness  pressed  a  farewell  kiss  on  the 
beautiful  fingers.  "  Good-bye,  dear  little  girl ;  good-bye, 
and  God  bless  you." 

The  next  moment  he  walked  swiftly  away  to  say  good- 
bye to  her  mother  and  Nicolas  :  and  Stella,  after  pressing 
her  hands  to  her  face  for  one  wild  moment  of  turbulent 
emotion,  dropped  them  determinedly  and  set  herself  down 
before  a  copy  of  "  The  Sketch."  She  made  a  brave  attempt 
to  read  it  and  not  imagine  foolish  things  about  the  man 
who,  in  spite  of  his  kindness  to  her,  only  thought  of  her  as 
a  "  little  girl." 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  later,  as  Michael  Ireton  stepped 
across  the  gangway  of  the  I  sis,  she  saw  him  turn  and  look 
up  at  the  spot  where  she  was  sitting  ;  she  rose  impulsively 
from  her  seat,  and  leaning  over  the  edge  of  the  boat,  she 
called  out  to  him,  "  Md-as-saldmah  "  (good-bye). 

"  No,  not  '  good-bye,'  "  he  said,  "  for  I  shall  see  you 
in  Cairo  ;  only  '  leltak  sd-idah  '  "  (good-night). 


From  MB  camp  about  a  week  later  he  sent  her  one  of 
the  many  letters  he  had  written  to  her,  letters  written 
to  satisfy  his  ever -increasing  desire  to  speak  to  her,  or 
hold  some  sort  of  communication  with  her.  Each  one  he 
wrote,  even  while  he  was  penning  it,  he  knew  he  would  not 
send,  yet  in  a  measure  it  helped  to  relieve  his  pent-up  feelings. 
The  one  he  eventually  sent  ran  thus  : 

"  MY  DEAR  LITTLE  FRIEND, 

"I  am  trying  my  hardest  to  think  of  your  happiness  and 
enjoyment  from  a  purely  unselfish  standpoint,  for  which,  if  you  onlj 
knew  it,  I  deserve  some  praise.  What  could  be  more  delightful  than 
your  life  at  present  ?  Doing  things  you  love  with  the  person  you 
love  best  in  this  world,  in  this  wonderful  climate  and  in  this  wonder, 
f ul  land — you  are  to  be  envied :  As  for  myself,  you  have  given  mo 
so  much  pleasure  that  it  would  be  ungrateful  of  me  to  complain  ft 
you  have  also  quite  innocently  given  me  much  pain. 

"La  Vie  est  vaine. 
Un  peu  d'ampur, 
Un  peu  de  haine. 
Et  puis:  Bon  jour  1 


'La  Vie  est  breve. 
Un  peu  d'espoir, 
Un  peu  de  r6ve. 
Etpuis:  Bon  soirl.! 


92  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

"  The  work  here  is  '  thrilling.'     I  know,  with  your  love  for  pre- 
historic and  early  dynastic  things,  how  you  would  enjoy  it. 
"  Always  your  most  sincere  friend, 

"  MICHAEL  IRITON. 

"PKOFESSOB  EBITKP'S  CAMP,  ABTDOS." 


CHAPTER  XV 

AFTER  a  two  weeks'  absence  Vernon  was  able  to  rejoin  th« 
Lekejians,  who  had  moved  their  dahabeah  to  Assouan. 
Stella  selected  Assouan,  for  there  they  would  be  able  to 

£:>  for  long  rides  in  the  desert  and  get  better  sailing  than  at 
uxor.  She  was  conscious  that  she  would  be  happier 
with  her  lover  at  Assouan,  playing  tennis  in  the  splendid 
gardens  of  the  Cataract  Hotel,  and  amusing  themselves 
with  a  sailing-boat  on  the  wide  reaches  of  the  river  which 
lie  between  Assouan  and  Komombo,  than  doing  the  ancient 
buildings  with  him  in  Thebes  and  Luxor  that  she  had  done 
with  Michael  Ireton  :  she  was  glad  to  leave  Luxor. 

The  monuments  of  Egypt  affected  Stella  strangely  :  she 
gloried  in  them  intellectually,  but  they  made  her  profoundly 
miserable.  She  had  never  been  so  unhappy  as  at  the  temple 
of  Abu  Simbel,  which  they  had  visited  in  the  interval  be- 
tween Luxor  and  Assouan.  It  was  a  new  sort  of  unhappi- 
ness,  the  result  of  the  sudden  realisation  that  she  herself, 
as  a  personality,  did  not  exist ;  that  nothing  mattered,  or 
ever  had  mattered  in  so  fleeting  a  thing  as  the  life-time  of 
a  human  being  ;  this  brought  with  it  the  sensation  that  she 
no  longer  had  any  passion  for  Vernon,  that  she  could  never 
again  love  him  as  she  had  once  loved  him  ;  yet  even  this 
did  not  seem  to  matter  enough  to  cause  her  any  pain.  It 
was  as  though  the  age  and  cynicism  of  Egypt  had  withered 
her  emotions. 

But  it  was,  above  all,  the  feeling  of  self -extinction  which 
unnerved  and  exhausted  her  physically.  In  the  temples 
and  tombs  she  was  under  the  dominion  of  Age,  she  was 
possessed  by  the  Power  of  the  Unseen  ;  for  the  time  being 
humanity  mattered  to  her  no  more  than  the  bats  and 
scorpions  and  spiders  which  housed  themselves  in  the 
subterranean  halls  of  the  Pharaohs. 

At  Abu  Simbel  she  had  risen  at  dawn,  with  Nicolas,  to 
see  the  sun  enter  the  vast  hall  of  the  temple  and  move 
slowly  up  the  Osiris -guarded  aisle  to  the  high  altar.  She 
saw  it  enter  as  the  God  Harmachi*  (the  rising  sun)  has 
entered  that  indestructible  sanctuary,  hewn  out  of  the 
rock-battlements  of  the  Nile,  for  more  than  three  thousand 
years.  When  Nicolas  saw  the  effect  the  ancient  buildings 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  93 

were  having  upon  his  sister's  nerves  he  was  only  too  glad 
to  fall  in  with  her  plan  for  returning  to  Assouan. 

After  a  few  days  at  Assouan  Stella  found  that  her  own 
existence  was  once  more,  to  herself  at  least,  a  thing  of  very 
conscious  and  vital  importance,  that  Vernon's  letters  were 
still  capable  of  stirring  her  pulses  and  making  her  long  for 
his  presence.  At  Abu  Simbel  she  had  not  wanted  Vernon  ; 
he  would  have  wanted  her  to  respond  to  his  presence  as  a 
lover,  even  while  the  great  Harmachis  was  crossing  the 
threshold  of  his  house.  She  was  relieved  he  was  not  there 
to  feel  bored  instead  of  elated  by  the  Majesty  and  Dominion 
and  Power  of  this  most  strangely  romantic  of  all  temples 
on  the  Nile. 

At  Assouan,  with  its  modern  tennis-courts  and  gay 
flower-gardens,  riding  by  Vernon's  side  along  the  same 
desert  track  which  led  the  ancients  to  the  Land  of  Gold — 
that  camel-path  to  Ethiopia  from  whence  came  ivory 
and  frankincense  and  myrrh  for  the  greater  glorification 
of  the  gods  of  Thebes,  she  could  think  pleasurable  thoughts 
of  Abu  Simbel ;  of  its  flowering  acacia  trees,  which  dipped 
their  lower  branches  into  the  waters  of  the  Nile,  while  their 
upper  foliage  screened  the  facade  of  the  building  from  the 
curious  eyes  of  the  toilers  on  the  river.  At  Assouan,  her 
state  of  mind  was  so  normal  that  she  could  tell  Vernon  all 
about  the  great  temples  and  the  tombs  of  the  kings  with- 
out dwelling  on  the  thought  that  they  had  caused  her  fear 
and  depression. 

It  was  chiefly  to  please  herself  that  she  lingered  over  the 
mystery  and  romance  of  the  buildings,  for  she  wished  to 
give  him  the  chance  of  entering  into  her  feelings  and 
aesthetic  enjoyments.  If  she  banished  these  things  from 
her  life  when  she  was  with  him,  their  sympathies  would 
eventually  become  one-sided  ;  besides,  there  was  the  subtler 
feeling  of  guilt  she  wished  to  atone  for. 

Vernon  admired  the  various  buildings,  because  their 
size  and  age  were  amazing  enough  to  make  him  amazed 
without  mental  effort.  Their  grandeur  was  obvious,  their 
indestructibility  awesome,  but  their  history,  or  the  mean- 
ing of  their  decorations,  did  not  interest  him  one  scrap. 
When  Stella  talked  about  them,  he  would  have  yawned 
himself  to  sleep  if  he  had  not  been  in  love  with  her. 

But  their  ride  to  the  ancient  granite  quarries  at  Assouan 
really  delighted  him.  He  liked  to  see  the  marks  of  the 
chisel  fresh  upon  unfinished  statues  and  gods  which  had 
been  commissioned  by  living  kings  some  four  thousand 
years  ago  ;  and  he  asked  for  nothing  more  intellectual  than 
to  ride  in  the  desert  or  sail  on  the  wide  stretches  of  the 
Nile  in  white-winged  boats,  as  gaily  painted  as  the  arches 


04  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

of  a  rainbow.  He  was  as  happy  as  a  child.  And  for  one 
week  Stella,  too,  was  completely  happy.  To  a  true 
woman  it  is  so  delightful  to  be  adored  and  considered  beauti- 
ful that  Stella  basked  in  the  warm  sunshine  of  love  and 
devotion. 

At  Assouan  they  had  dined  once  and  lunched  once  in 
the  huge  hotel.  On  both  occasions  Stella  had  met  people 
whom  she  had  known  in  England,  and  they  had  been  delight- 
ful to  her  :  they  had  not  yet  been  affected  by  the  prejudices 
of  Cairo.  They  begged  her  to  come  and  see  them  in  Cairo 
when  they  both  returned  from  their  trips  up  the  Nile,  and 
they  were  enthusiastic  over  the  excursions  they  made  with 
her  father  and  mother  on  their  house-boat. 

The  Lekejians  had  taken  them  to  Shellal,  to  see  the 
great  barrage.  Mr.  Lekejian  knew  one  of  the  chief  engin- 
eers, who  showed  them  over  the  immense  concern,  and  ex- 
plained its  history  and  workings.  The  day  at  the  barrage 
was  a  day  which  might  well  have  filled  any  Englishman's 
heart  with  pride.  The  temples  and  the  tombs  of  Egypt 
were  built  for  the  glorification  of  the  Pharaohs,  out  of  the 
life-blood  of  the  people  ;  the  barrage  at  Assouan  has  been 
built  to  give  food  to  the  poor — in  Egypt  water  means  food. 
It  is  a  comforting  fact  for  an  Englishman  to  remember,  as 
he  stands  on  that  amazing  structure,  that  once  again  in 
Egypt  the  hand  of  the  builder  has  raised  a  monument  of 
almost  superhuman  conception,  a  monument  which  can 
take  its  place  with  the  buildings  of  the  Pharaohs  ;  and 
he  can  reflect  that  it  is  under  English  rule  that  the  first 
Monument  to  Humanity  has  been  raised  in  a  land  where 
the  English  rule  is  vilified.  It  has  been  left  for  the  English 
to  bestow  the  unspeakable  blessing  of  water  alike  upon  the 
poor  and  the  rich.  The  barrage  is  a  very  Temple  of 
Justice. 

Vernon  was  immensely  impressed  ;  he  would  have  liked 
to  spend  some  days  in  inspecting  it,  but  his  "  leave " 
passed  all  too  quickly,  and  he  had  to  rejoin  his  regiment. 

As  the  Lekejians  wished  to  visit  the  temples  of  Denderah 
and  Komombo  and  Abydos  on  their  way  back  to  Cairo, 
Vernon  got  there  a  fortnight  before  Stella,  and  on  the  very 
eve  of  their  arrival  he  was  ordered  to  go  with  his  regiment 
to  Helouan,  for  a  fortnight's  manosuvres.  At  Helouan  he 
saw  a  good  deal  of  society,  for  there  are  health-baths  at 
Helouan  which  attract  invalids.  During  these  weeks  he 
was  initiated  still  further  into  some  of  the  mysteries  and 
peculiarities  of  Cairene  society,  and  he  shrank  from  the 
knowledge,  forced  upon  him,  that  Hadassah  Lekejian  and 
Stella  Adair  were  two  very  different  people.  He  grew  to 
wish  that  the  girl  who  had  ridden  by  his  side  at  Assouan  over 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  95 

the  desert  sands  and  under  the  clear  skies  was  the  Stella 
Adair  he  had  known  in  London  ...  he  would  have  given 
ten  years  of  his  life  to  be  able  to  say  truthfully  to  himself 
that  "  for  the  opinion  of  the  English  he  did  not  care  a  damn  !  " 
It  was  no  use  his  trying  to  affect  any  tiling  like  a  fellow-feel- 
ing for  even  the  most  Europeanised  of  Orientals,  for  he 
could  not,  and  he  sincerely  hoped  that  they,  in  their  turn, 
felt  no  such  fellow-feeling  for  him. 

He  was  happily  confident,  however,  that  Stella  would 
be  only  too  glad  to  shake  the  dust  of  Cairo  for  ever  off  her 
feet  when  she  was  married  to  him.  In  London  are  not  the 
doors  in  the  most  exclusive  society  open  to  Turks  and  Jews 
and  Syrians,  to  the  peoples  of  all  races,  if  they  are  wealthy 
enough  to  entertain  lavishly  ?  Yet  in  his  wholly  British 
BOU!  he  wished  his  beloved  Stella  had  not  suddenly  been 
changed  into  the  beautiful  Syrian  Hadassah  whom  the 
nice  Englishmen  in  Cairo  talked  about  with  so  much  pity. 
He  would  have  given  worlds  to  have  changed  her  back  again 
into  Stella  Adair.  The  idea  that  she  was  conferring  an 
honour  upon  him  by  marrying  him  had  unconsciously  faded 
away  ;  it  had  even  occurred  to  him  once  or  twice  to  wonder 
if  Mrs.  Lekejian  had  not  very  naturally  encouraged  Stella 
in  her  love  for  himself,  for  Mrs.  Lekejian,  being  an  Irish- 
woman, would  naturally  like  to  see  her  only  daughter 
married  to  a  European,  and  she  was  to  be  forgiven  if  she 
had  kept  Vernon  in  ignorance  of  Stella's  true  position  in 
Cairo. 

There  was  only  one  solution,  he  would  take  Stella  away 
from  Cairo  as  soon  as  he  could.  In  England  she  could  have 
her  parents  to  visit  her  as  often  as  she  pleased,  but  never 
again  would  he  permit  her  to  live  with  them  in  the  East. 

CHAPTER  XVI 

STELLA  did  not  see  Vernon  after  her  return  to  Cairo  for 
almost  a  week  :  he  was  still  at  Helouan.  To-night  there 
was  to  be  a  reception  at  the  British  Agency,  to  which  the 
Lekejian  family  had  determined  to  go,  and  Stella  knew 
that  she  would  see  him  there.  Stella  liad  been  induced  to 
sing  at  a  cafe  chantant  got  up  for  charity,  and  the  British 
Agent's  wife  had  then  shewn  her  much  sympathetic 
kindness. 

Lady  Minton  had  been  charmed  with  the  girl's  voice 
and  personality,  and  had  insisted  upon  being  introduced 
to  her.  Realising  Stella's  isolated  position  when  she  dis- 
covered that  she  was  a  Syrian,  in  the  kindest  way  she  begged 
Stella  and  her  rnother  to  come  and  see  her,  and  expressed 


96  A  WIFE  OUT  OP  EGYPT 

the  hope  that  they  might  enjoy  many  musical  afternoons 
together.  As  Stella's  nature  was  intensely  responsive  to 
true  sympathy,  she  determined  to  break  through  her  rule 
of  refusing  all  social  functions  of  a  public  kind  (she  was  never 
invited  to  private  ones)  and  go  to  Lady  Minton's  official 
reception.  Lady  Minton's  kindness  to  the  girl  had  not 
altered  the  residents'  attitude  towards  the  Lekejians ; 
they  merely  said,  "It  is  a  great  pity  if  Lady  Minton  is 
going  to  start  doing  this  sort  of  thing  ;  it  has  been  tried 
many  times  and  has  been  found  impossible.  Leaving  it 
off  will  hurt  the  girl's  feeling  much  more  than  if  she  had 
never  been  noticed  at  all."  So  Stella  went  to  the  reception, 
not  only  to  show  Lady  Minton  that  she  appreciated  her 
kindness,  but  to  get  over  the  inevitable  ordeal  of  meeting 
Vernon  amongst  English  people  who  liked  to  pretend  that 
she  did  not  exist. 

Stella  was  exquisitely  dressed,  and,  as  she  passed  one  long 
mirror  after  another  in  the  crowded  rooms  at  the  Agency, 
she  could  not  help  knowing  that  the  vision  of  herself  she 
saw  in  them  was  pleasing.  It  sustained  her  self-esteem, 
and  she  comforted  herself  with  the  thought  that  she  was 
well  turned-out  and  looking  her  very  best.  Excitement 
had  brought  a  delicate  colour  to  her  usually  pale  cheeks, 
and  her  soft  eyes  seemed  larger  and  more  brilliant  than 
ever. 

After  shaking  hands  with  her  hostess,  who  was  naturally 
too  occupied  to  say  more  than  a  few  words  to  her,  she  found 
herself  by  her  mother's  side  again,  watching  the  entrance 
of  fresh  arrivals.  She  knew  that  she  would  probably  stay 
there  all  through  the  evening,  and  that  she  would  scarcely 
speak  half-a-do/en  words  to  any  one  outside  of  her  own 
party.  She  could  see  nothing  of  Vernon.  Soon  her  heart 
gave  a  little  bound,  and  she  felt  the  blood  leave  her  cheeks, 
for  he  had  entered  the  room  with  the  very  people  who  had 
told  the  man  who  had  bowed  to  her  from  the  British 
Agent's  box  at  the  opera  something  which  had  prevented 
him  making  any  further  attempt  to  renew  their  friendship. 
Stella  saw  Vernon  talking  quite  intimately  to  a  pretty 
girl  of  the  fair,  conventional  English  type,  the  type  of 
woman  of  whom  conventional  men  approve  because  they 
know  exactly  what  to  expect  of  them.  The  unaccustomed 
in  women  may  be  amusing  in  a  mistress  ;  it  is  annoying  in 
a  wife. 

It  would  be  impossible  for  Vernon  to  avoid  seeing  Stella 
after  he  had  shaken  hands  with  Lady  Minton,  and  as  his 
companion's  mother  was  one  of  the  leaders  of  Cairene 
society — who  refused  to  receive  "  natives  "  of  any  kind 
in  her  house — Stella  was  a  little  excited  to  know  what  he 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  97 

would  do.  As  they  drew  near  her  eyes  met  the  blue  eyes 
of  the  girl  he  was  talking  to.  She  was  looking  at  Stella  with 
very  obvious  admiration,  so  she  may  have  said  something 
about  Stella,  for  her  mother's  diamond-crested  lorgnettes 
went  up,  and  Stella  felt  the  cold  scrutiny  of  two  worldly 
eyes  passing  over  her.  It  was  her  scrutiny  of  Stella  which 
made  Vernon  suddenly  notice  her.  A  deep  flush  dyed  his 
face,  and  for  a  moment  he  stopped  hesitatingly,  but  it 
was  only  for  a  moment ;  the  next  he  had  passed  on  with  a 
bow  and  an  embarrassed  smile.  His  hostess  was  speaking 
to  him,  and  telling  him  in  a  clear  voice  that  "  some  Lev- 
antines are  quite  beautiful  when  they  are  young,  but  that, 
like  all  natives,  they  quickly  degenerate." 

At  that  moment  Stella  did  not  feel  like  the  Biblical 
Esther  of  old,  who  hid  her  nationality  from  her  lord  in 
order  to  save  her  people.  Eage  seized  her,  and  she  could 
have  torn  in  pieces  every  Englishwoman  in  the  room. 
The  hideous  cruelty  of  it,  the  hideous  vulgarity  of  it,  the 
hideous  prejudice  of  it !  How  could  she  blame  Vernon  ? 
She  felt  that  she  had  been  through  the  scene  many  many 
times  before,  she  felt  it  was  inevitable  that  things  should 
have  happened  just  as  they  had  happened.  The  band 
was  playing  a  popular  waltz,  and  the  big  room  was  becom- 
ing crowded  ;  faces  she  knew  by  sight  were  passing  before 
her  ;  and  all  the  while  she  was  talking  to  her  brother  Nicolas 
as  though  in  a  dream.  She  had  no  idea  how  long  she  had 
been  standing  by  her  mother's  bide,  mechanically  talking 
about  things  that  did  not  matter,  about  things  she  could 
not  remember  the  moment  after  they  were  said — it  might 
have  been  for  hours — when  Vernon  came  up  to  her.  He 
seemed  a  little  nervous,  and  explained  that  he  had  come 
just  as  soon  as  he  could  get  away  from  his  party. 

As  he  spoke  to  her  a  flood  of  devotion  suddenly  leapt 
in  him  :  to  see  her  standing  by  her  parents'  side,  her  young 
face  frozen  to  a  dreadful  coldness,  filled  him  with  anger 
against  his  own  race  ;  his  eyes  were  so  full  of  passion  that 
hers  melted  a  little  as  they  looked  into  them,  but  the 
hand  she  held  out  to  him  was  the  hand  of  a  stranger. 
She  could  not  decide  what  she  had  expected  him  to  do — 
that  he  should  leave  his  hostess  and  dash  impetuously 
towards  her  and  claim  her  as  his  own — or  what  ?  She 
did  not  know  ;  she  only  felt  that  he  had  not  done  as  she 
would  have  done  if  their  position  had  been  reversed. 
Should  he  have  said,  when  the  cruel  lorgnettes  went  up, 
"  That  is  the  girl  I  am  engaged  to.  May  I  introduce  her 
to  you  ?  "  She  did  not  know  ;  she  only  knew  that  that 
little  moment  of  hesitation,  that  conventional  bow,  and 
that  embarrassed  smile,  had  placed  worlds  and  worlds 


98  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

between  them.  She  hoped  that  she  would  not  allow  him 
to  kiss  her  when  they  were  alone,  she  hoped  that  she  would 
never  again  feel  that  delicious  sense  of  she  knew  not  what 
when  his  arms  were  round  her,  she  hoped  that  she  would 
never  tolerate  an  Englishman's  love  again.  He  asked  her 
to  come  for  a  walk  through  the  rooms  and  go  out  on  the 
terrace.  Her  mother  smiled  to  her  to  go  :  anything  was 
better  than  to  see  her  child  neglected  and  overlooked, 
while  every  one  else  in  the  room  was  gay  and  sociable. 
At  such  a  gathering  there  was,  of  course,  no  introducing, 
and  in  Cairo,  where  the  residents  knew  each  other  intimately, 
there  was  little  need  of  it.  Stella's  father  was  the  centre 
of  a  group  of  men  who  were  eagerly  discussing  the  Asiut 
election  and  politics  generally.  There  was  a  Turkish  Pasha 
amongst  them,  and  the  most  influential  lawyer  in  Cairo. 

Stella  left  her  brother  to  look  after  her  mother,  and 
went  off  with  her  lover,  but  not  one  word  came  to  her  lips  ; 
she  walked  the  whole  length  of  the  room  in  complete 
silence.  Her  heart  was  too  full  of  bitterness  to  speak 
naturally  of  trivial  things.  She  longed  to  cry  out,  to  tell 
him  she  was  miserable,  that  she  was  miserable  because 
she  still  loved  him  even  though  ho  had  failed  her,  that  she 
was  sick  of  the  whole  world.  Vernon  did  not  attempt  to 
•peak  until  they  were  seated  under  a  flowering  sunt  tree, 
whose  luscious  scent  sweetened  the  soft  night  air.  Bright 
lanterns  like  sumptuous  tropical  flowers,  were  gently 
swaying  from  the  trees  in  the  breeze,  and  in  the  distance 
an  Arab  lover  was  pouring  out  his  heart  to  the  moon. 

Vernon's  arm  stole  round  Stella's  waist  and  his  lips 
were  pressed  to  her  white  throat.  Stella  was  trembling, 
and,  although  she  was  not  responsive,  she  did  not  resist ; 
already  her  senses  were  being  drugged  by  the  magic  of 
his  caresses. 

"  Dearest,"  he  said,  "  do  let's  get  married  and  leave 
this  beastly  place.  I'll  take  you  back  to  England,  where 
you  will  be  courted  and  adored  once  more.  English  people 
are  hateful  in  the  East." 

She  let  him  kiss  her  lips,  for  he  had  turned  her  face  to 
his,  but  she  said,  "  Don't,  Vernon,  please  don't." 

"  But  why  t  "  he  said.  "  No  one  can  see  us  here.  The 
tree  completely  hides  us." 

"  Yes,  I  am  your  lover  when  there  is  no  one  who  can 
see  us  .  .  .  t  " 

"  Oh !  Stella  .  .  ."  he  stammered  confusedly,  "  you 
don't  want  me  to  kiss  you  in  public,  do  you  T  " 

She  was  silent. 

"  You're  miserable,  darling,  out  here,  where  everything 
is  wrong.  Why  don't  you  go  back  to  Miss  MacNaughtan  1 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  99 

—and  I'll  change  into  another  regiment  and  corne  home 
and  marry  you." 

"  This  is  my  home,"  she  said  slowly.  She  had  drawn 
her  face  farther  from  his. 

"  I  never  feel  that  it  is." 

"  But  you  must." 

"  Why  should  I  !  I  like  to  think  of  you  as  Stella  Adair, 
the  most  beautiful  and  popular  girl  in  a  set  of  decent 
English  people  at  home  .  .  .  All  this  sort  of  thing  is  upside 
down.  .  .  .  It's  like  a  bad  dream  ;  it's  hateful !  " 

"  This  is  how  things  are,"  she  said  ;  "  the  other  was  a 
dream." 

"  But  it  needn't  be  :  your  mother  would  let  you  go 
home  to-morrow  ;  I  know  she  would  .  .  .  she's  a  dear  ; 
she  understands." 

"  And  you  would  have  me  go  '  home,'  as  you  call  it  !  " 

"  Why  not  t  It  would  only  be  returning  to  the  people 
who  brought  you  up,  to  the  people  who  understand  you, 
the  people  for  whom  you  were  educated." 

He  kissed  her  again,  and  pressed  her  soft  cheek  closely 
to  his  own,  but  Stella  roused  herself  to  resist  the  seduction 
of  his  passion,  to  throw  off  the  physical  lassitude  which  his 
near  presence  always  produced  in  her.  In  a  voice  stifled 
with  emotion  she  said  :  "  You  are  wrong  ;  they  are  not 
my  people  ;  that  is  just  the  mistake  we  have  both  made. 
.  .  .  My  people  are  here  !  Girgis  Boutros  is  one  of  them. 
I  am  what  you  English  call  a  Levantine,  I  came  here  to- 
night so  that  you  should  know  it." 

Vernon  withdrew  his  caressing  hand.  "  But  you  don't 
care  for  him.  He  doesn't  count,  or  any  of  his  people." 

"  I  admire  him,"  she  said,  "  and  I  should  despise  myself 
if  I  married  you  and  left  my  people — surely  you  would 
despise  me  if  I  did  it  V 

"  Dearest,  you  don't  love  me !  What  has  changed 
you  1  " 

Her  answer  was  to  lift  his  hand  to  her  lips  and  kiss  it 
very  tenderly.  She  had  hoped  that  her  words  would 
bring  forth  the  protest  that  he  would  really  love  her  less 
if  she  despised  her  people,  or  that  he  would  marry  her  in 
Cairo  to-morrow  if  she  liked,  and  show  the  still-necked 
English  that  her  people  were  his  people,  and  that  his  people 
were  hers. 

But  he  had  no  such  thought  ...  he  was  obsessed  with 
the  one  idea  that  if  she  loved  him  she  would  leave  her 
fletestable  relations  for  his  sake,  and  live  in  a  country  where 
being  a  Syrian  meant  no  more  to  the  general  public,  if 
the  woman  was  rich  and  charming,  than  being  a  Turk  or 
a  Jew  or  a  Greek.  So  he  said,  with  a  self -aggrieved  air  : 


100  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

"Go  back  to  England  and  wait  for  me,  dearest  ;  leave  this 
beastly  place — you  would  if  you  really  cared  for  me." 

"  Never !  "  she  said  passionately.  Her  heart  was 
beating  wildly  :  she  believed  that  she  was  rejecting  the  one 
thing  that  made  life  sweet  to  her. 

"  Darling,  why  won't  you  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  if  I  tell  you  you  won't  understand  ;  but  please 
try  to  :  it  is  because  I  should  hate  you  if  I  went,  if  I  was 
not  strong  enough  to  resist  ..."  she  pushed  away  his 
hands  .  .  .  meaning  hia  physical  attraction  .  .  .  her  voice 
broke,  "  I  should  despise  you  if  you  did  not  hate  me  for 
going."  As  she  spoke  she  knew  that  she  was  losing  a 
portion  of  the  ideal  of  him  that  she  had  created  .  .  .  she 
was  conscious  that  one  day  she  might  lose  all. 

"  No,  I  don't  understand,"  he  said  ;  "  you  would  despise 
me  if  you  loved  me  well  enough  to  do  as  I  ask  you  to  ! 
You  look  at  things  from  such  a  strange  point  of  view." 

"  Not  very  strange,  dearest.  Can't  you  see  how  I  should 
grow  to  hate  you  if  my  love  for  you  made  me  a  traitor  to 
my  own  people,  because  you  were  ashamed  to  own  that 
you  loved  a  Syrian, — if  you  were  afraid  to  face  the  music  t  " 

Vernon  was  amazed  at  her  intensity.  "  Who  said  I 
was  afraid  t  What  have  I  done  1  This  sort  of  thing  has 
got  on  your  nerves." 

"  Do  you  wonder  if  it  has  ?  "  she  asked  passionately : 
"  Do  you  wonder  if  I  hate  myself  for  loving  a  man  who 
belongs  to  the  race  of  people  who  despise  my  father — 
my  father  who  is  worth  a  hundred  prejudiced  Englishmen 
— a  man  who  scorns  me  in  Cairo  because  his  fellow-country- 
men do  not  think  any  one  not  British  is  fit  to  speak  to  1 
...  It  is  cruel,"  she  said,  "  cruel  and  abominable.  I 
hate  myself  for  loving  you,  but  I  can't  help  it." 

"  Don't  darling  !  "  he  said  in  a  soothing  voice. 

"  Oh  !  don't  touch  me,"  she  cried.  ...  "  When  you 
caress  me  I  have  no  will-power,  no  individuality,  no  self- 
respect,  and  ...  I  must  resist,  for  to-night  I  know  that 
you  share  the  feelings  of  the  English  in  Cairo.  Something 
tells  me  that  if  we  had  never  met  in  England  you  would 
never  have  loved  me  here  .  .  .  you  would  never  have 
asked  me  to  marry  you  t  " 

"  Why  do  you  say  that  t  ...  I  came  to  you  as  soon  as 
I  could.  I  had  dined  with  these  people  :  I  had  to  be  civil." 

Stella  gave  a  pitiful  laugh.  "  You  did  not  tell  the  lady 
you  were  with  that  you  were  engaged  to  me  !  " 

"  There  was  no  occasion  to." 

"  There  was  the  opportunity  !  She  made  a  remark  about 
me  ;  I  heard  it.  Wouldn't  it  have  been  the  natural  thing 
to  have  told  her  then  if  you  had  not  been  ashamed  ?  " 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  101 

"  Stella,  this  is  awful  .  .  .  nothing  has  been  right  since 
I've  been  in  Egypt  .  .  .  you  blame  me  for  all  the  wrongs 
the  English  have  done  to  your  people.  Forget  about  it, 
do,  dear." 

"  How  can  I  forget  ?  "  she  said.  "  Certainly  not  until  I 
know  my  true  position  with  you.  .  .  .  Are  we  to  be  openly 
engaged  f  Are  you  going  to  acknowledge  me  to  your 
friends  ?  .  .  .  Are  you  going  to  accept  my  relations  t 
...  Or  am  I  to  be  kissed  behind  the  sunt  trees  and  ignored 
in  the  drawing-rooms  ?  " 

"  You're  awfully  cruel :  you've  changed  completely. 
Are  you  so  anxious  for  our  engagement  to  be  made 
public  !  " 

"  Yes,  if  you  wish  me  to  remain  engaged  to  you  in 
private  !  " 

"  What  do  you  mean  !  " 

"I  mean,"  she  said,  "that  if  I  did  what  I  ought  to  do 
I  should  break  off  my  engagement  with  you  unless  you 
agree  to  all  I  wish." 

"  Why  !  .  .  .  For  what  reason  t  .  .  .  I  can  scarcely 
believe  it  is  you  talking.  .  .  .  Stella,  dearest,  why  on 
earth  should  you  break  with  me  t  What  do  you  wish  me 
to  do  ?  " 

"It  would  be  fairer  to  you,  and  I  suppose  I  ought  to 
marrv  my  cousin,  Girgis  Boutros." 

"  Good  Lord,  SteUa  !  .  .  .     What  for  t  " 

"  Because  I  could  help  him  in  his  work  for  the  people. 
Because  he  would  ask  me  to  stay  with  my  people  and  not 
forsake  them  ...  he  would  spend  his  great  wealth  on 
educating  and  raising  the  position  of  the  Christians  in 
Egypt." 

"  But  why  should  you  be  made  the  sacrifice  f  " 

"  Because  he  loves  me,  and  surely  I  have  been  born 
and  educated  for  some  reason  ...  for  some  purpose  other 
than  to  be  an  object  of  pity  to  the  English.  It  must  have 
been  that  I  was  to  help  him  to  carry  on  his  work.  .  .  . 
Heavens!"  she  said,  with  a  hopeless  sigh.  .  .  "if  only  I 
could  .  .  ."  she  stopped. 

"  If  only  you  could  what  1  '* 

"  ForgeJ;  myself.  ...  If  only  I  could  forget  that  you 
exist,  if  only  I  had  never  known  your  love." 

"  You'll  forget  me  all  right,"  he  said  bitterly.  "  Girgis 
is  very  wealthy  !  " 

"  ;iow  cruel  !  " 

"  Well,  I  think  it's  you  who  are  being  cruel ;  you're 
chucking  me  for  a  richer  man." 

"  ^or  one  who  does  not  despise  me  ;  for  one  who  does  not 
ask  me  to  forsake  my  people  ;  for  one  who  would  be  proud 


102  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

to  tell  every  one  in  Cairo  to-morrow  that  I  am  his  promised 
wife." 

'  And  who  said  I  wouldn't  1  " 

'  Would  you  t  Will  you  introduce  me  to-night  as  youi 
fiancee  ?  " 

'  Of  course,  darling,  if  you  wish  it ;  but  to  whom  t  " 

'  To  any  one." 

'  I  don't  know  people  intimately  here.  .  .  .  They  are  all 
the  merest  acquaintances ;  they  don't  even  know  I'm 
engaged  :  it  would  seem  rather  odd." 

iiis  arm  stole  round  her  because  her  face  had  softened, 
and  she  had  not  resisted  the  caressing  shoulder  as  he 
leaned  against  her.  s  a  woman  she  was  so  attractive 
that  he  could  not  resist  her.  It  seemed  impossible  that  any 
community  of  cultivated  people  could  treat  her  as  a  social 
outcast,  yet  he  had  only  to  take  her  back  to  the  drawing- 
room  to  realise  that  such  was  the  case,  and  Stella  insisted 
upon  their  going  back.  She  wished  to  return,  becausa 
she  found  herself  becoming  weaker  and  weaker  undei 
the  magic  of  hands  and  the  passion  of  lips,  and  she  knew 
that  neither  her  heart  nor  her  pride  were  satisfied,  and 
she  was  determined  that  her  self-respect  and  pride  should 
master  her  physical  weakness.  As  she  rose  to  her  feet,  she 
held  out  her  hands  imploringly.  ernon  took  them 
eagerly  in  his. 

Dearest,"  she  said,  "  we  need  never  speak  of  all  this 
again  :  we  need  never  mind  what  people  think  if  only  you 
will  accept  my  people  as  your  people.  .  .  ."  She  paused. 
"  As  a  soldier's  wife,  of  course,  I  should  naturally  go  with 
you  to  the  uttermost  ends  of  the  earth.  .  .  .  But  I  will 
never  go  anywhere  for  the  sake  of  getting  away  from  the 
people  I  belong  to." 

'  And  you  will  not  marry  Girgis  Boutros  t  " 

'  I  will  never  marry  him  .  .  .  unless  .  .  ." 

1  Unless  what  1  " 

1  Unless  you  fail  me." 

'  In  what  way  ?  " 

'  By  scorning  my  people,  by  doing  nothing  to  help 
me  to  make  their  position  less  undignified,  by  keeping 
your  eyes  shut  to  the  injustice  of  the  English." 

Steps  close  at  hand  prevented  Vernon  from  answering 
her,  and  the  next  moment  Nicolas  and  Michael  Ireton  were 
standing  beside  them.  Nicolas  hesitated  and  was  turning 
away  when  he  saw  who  it  was  they  had  interrupted,  but 
Stella  begged  him  to  come  back.  "  Nicolas,  don't  go ! 
.  .  .  Vernon  has  to  return  to  the  friends  he  came 
with." 

The  look  of  pleasure  and  something  deeper  which  had 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  103 

lit  up  Michael  Ireton's  face  when  he  saw  Stella  was  not 
lost  upon  Vernon,  whose  mind  was  instantly  filled  with 
jealousy.  He  did  not  want  to  leave  her  with  this  man  who, 
he  knew,  appealed  to  the  intellectual  side  of  her  nature  so 
strongly  .  .  .  nor  did  he  particularly  wish  to  take  her 
back  to  the  reception  room,  where  he  might  have  to  face  the 
difficulty  of  meeting  his  hostess  and  introducing  Stella. 
He  knew  that  Mrs.  Bostock  would  not  be  nice  to  the  girl, 
the  more  so  because  Stella  was  much  better  dressed  than 
her  own  daughter,  whom  Vernon  imagined,  though  he  was 
not  vain,  to  have  been  designedly  thrown  in  his  way  lately. 
Vernon  had  only  been  three  weeks  in  Cairo,  and  had  already 
seen  the  same  set  of  people  a  good  many  times  at  different 
social  functions.  He  liked  the  girl  with  her  pink  skin  and 
blue  eyes  ;  her  love  of  out-door  games  and  sport  appealed 
to  him  ;  but  he  had  no  desire  to  be  drawn  into  a  flirtation 
with  her.  As  Stella  had  as  much  as  given  him  his  dismissal 
he  was  upon  the  point  of  leaving  them,  when  she  said  to 
him  in  a  persuasive  voice :  "  Vernon,  will  you  come  to- 
morrow morning  and  see  some  of  the  old  Coptic  churches  f 
Mr.  Ireton  would  like  to  join  us." 

Vernon  detested  sight -seeing,  but  he  was  too  jealous 
of  the  man  to  let  Stella  go  about  alone  with  him,  so  he 
accepted  the  invitation.  "  I  hope  you  don't  mind  vermin," 
he  said  to  Michael  Ireton.  "  Some  people  I  met  out  at 
dinner  last  night  told  me  that  these  old  churches  are  alive 
with  all  sorts  of  insects  :  one  girl  had  hysterics  when  she 
got  home  and  found  the  worst  of  all  things  on  her  blouse, 
within  an  inch  of  her  hair." 

"  I  do  mind  them  very  much,"  Michael  said ;  "  but 
clothes  will  burn  and  I  will  wash,  and  these  old  churches 
are  unique,  both  in  point  of  architecture  and  real  beauty. 
I  mj,8t  see  them  ;  it  is  worse  for  ladies.  What  will  you  do, 
Miss  Lekejian  ?  " 

"  I'll  put  on  things  that  will  wash  when  I  get  home  .  .  . 
my  maid  will  examine  them  first,  for  washing  doesn't  kill 
the  worst  kind — indeed,  they  often  come  home  with  the 
washing." 

"  Ye  gods,"  Vernon  said,  "  how  horrible !  Where  is 
one  safe  ?  " 

"  Never,  if  you  go  in  public  conveyances  or  rub  shoulders 
with  the  people  in  the  bazaars." 

"  But  I  thought  Mohammedans  were  clean  ;  they  wash 
before  praying  ?  " 

"  Not  the  women." 

"  And  the  Copts  ?  " 

"  They  are  no  better.  .  .  ." 

"Thank  God  for  England,"  Vernon  said;  "I'd  rather 


104  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

have  it's  rain  and  grey  skies  than  the  filth  and  sunshine 
of  the  East." 

He  turned  to  go. 

"  Then  you'll  call  for  me  at  nine  o'clock  to-morrow 
morning  t  "  Stella  asked .  "  It  will  be  on  your  way  .  .  . 
it  gets  too  hot  later  on." 

As  he  left  them  Michael  Ireton  said,  "  Oriental  things 
don't  appeal  to  him  very  much,  do  they  ?  He's  of  too 
British  a  turn  of  mind.'* 

Nicolas  knew  that  Vernon  had  brains  of  the  kind  which 
could  absorb  certain  subjects  if  they  interested  him,  but  he 
doubted  very  much  if  he  had  a  mind  which  "  thought  " 
for  itself  upon  any  subject  whatsoever. 

For  a  while  they  walked  about  the  grounds,  and  Michael 
Ireton  told  them  what  he  had  been  doing  since  they  had 
parted  in  Luxor.  He  was  enchanted  with  Abydos,  and 
told  Stella  a  groat  deal  about  the  expectations  of  the 
excavating  party  there.  Apart  from  the  romance  of 
Osiris's  tomb,  the  great  temple  of  Abydos  is  unlike  any 
other  building  in  Egypt.  Its  very  name  is  suggestive  of 
its  peculiar  charm  and  delicate  beauty. 

Stella  said  that  she  envied  the  professor's  wife,  who  lived 
with  her  husband  in  his  camp  and  helped  him  in  his  work 
there.  Michael  Ireton  looked  at  Nicolas,  who  under- 
stood the  remark  his  eyes  conveyed,  that  if  she  longed  to 
be  the  wife  of  a  man  whose  whole  existence  was  given  over 
to  archaeological  research,  how  could  she  be  satisfied  with 
Vernon,  whose  real  interests  in  life  were  polo  and  golf  t 

"  Would  you  be  contented  to  live  her  life  ?  "  he  said. 
"  You  would  have  to  do  without  all  luxuries  :  camp  life 
at  Abydos  is  very  severe." 

"  I  believe  that  Stella  could  do  without  them,"  Nicolas 
said,  "  better  than  she  could  do  without  intellectual  in- 
terests and  intelligent  companionship.  She  loves  pretty 
clothes  and  pretty  surroundings,  but  I  think  half  her 
pretty  frocks  are  worn  to  please  me." 

Stella  thanked  him  with  her  eyes.  "  These  pretty  things 
help  to  make  my  rather  stupid  life  more  exciting,"  she  said 
..."  but  they  really  mean  nothing  :  if  I  could  go  off  to- 
morrow into  the  desert  with  Nicolas  ...  or  v/ith  any  one 
who  loved  it  as  Nicolas  does,  I  would  leave  them  all  behind 
me  gladly.'' 

"I  believe  you  would,"  Michael  Ireton  said.  "  Our 
evenings  used  to  be  delightful  .  .  .  such  talks  .  .  .  such 
arguments  .  .  .  such  theories,  all  relating  to  things  which 
had  their  place  in  the  world  thousands  of  years  ago." 
As  he  spoke  he  caught  Stella's  glowing  eyes,  her  ardent 
smile. 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  105 

"  I've  a  proposal  to  make  to  you."  Michael  Ireton 
had  stopped  suddenly,  and  strained  his  ear  to  listen  : 
"  Aren't  you  tired  of  all  this  ?  " — he  pointed  to  the  brightly 
lighted  house  and  to  the  mass  of  moving  figures.  "I 
know  a  wealthy  Arab  who  is  giving  a  party  on  board  his 
dahabeah  to-night — it's  lying  just  off  Roda  Island.  If 
your  sister  had  her  wraps,  we  could  get  into  a  small  boat 
and  drift  down  the  river  and  hear  the  music.  The  illumina- 
tions will  be  worth  seeing." 

Nicolas  hesitated. 

"  I  wo  ildn't  ask  you,"  he  said,  "  if  I  didn't  know  it  was 
going  to  be  something  very  special.  He's  got  a  famous 
tenor  on  board,  and  there  is  to  be  a  whole  flotilla  of  boats, 
illuminated  :  he's  entertaining  a  great  swell  from  Persia — 
giving  a  series  of  entertainments,  intellectual  and  otherwise, 
and  I  had  the  honour  of  being  his  guest  last  night.  I  had 
never  experienced  anything  so  delightful.  The  boat  was 
a  perfect  fairyland  of  flowers  and  priceless  embroideries, 
and  there  were  story-tellers,  and  poets,  who  recited  their 
parts  in  splendid  costumes.  The  whole  thing  was  classical." 

Stella's  eyes  glowed.  "I'd  love  to  go,"  she  said  .  .  . 
"  How  did  you  get  to  know  him  ?  " 

"  I  got  to  know  him  through  a  Frenchman  who  ignores 
the  prejudices  of  Cairo  and  makes  friends  with  all  the  most 
cultivated  Arabs  ...  he  says  he'd  die  of  ennui  out  here 
if  he  depended  on  the  society  of  Europeans  ;  their  parties 
are  deadly  affairs." 

"  Probably  the  Europeans  think  he's  half  a  native 
because  he  isn't  English,"  Stella  said  laughingly. 

"  Probably,"  Michael  Ireton  said,  "  but  who  cares ! 
He  took  me  there  last  night.  I  wish  you  could  have  been 
with  me" — he  addressed  Nicolas — "it  really  was  perfect." 

"  I  wish  I  could,"  he  said,  "  but  with  my  mother  and 
Stella  to  consider  I  can't  ...  I  tried  it  ...  when  Stella 
was  at  school,  but  I  found  it  difficult  when  I  wanted  to 
return  their  hospitality  :  I  couldn't  ask  them  to  my  home." 

"  I  see,"  Michael  Ireton  said  :  yet  he  didn't  see,  for  he 
could  not  understand  why  the  Lekejians,  who  did  not 
really  know  the  English  people  in  Cairo,  thought  it  worth 
while  to  mind  what  they  thought  or  said. 

But  he  was  reckoning  without  Stella's  father,  who 
would  not  allow  Mussulmans  to  come  to  his  house  as 
intimates.  He  knew  many  of  them,  but  he  would  not 
countenance  the  idea  of  permitting  them  to  know  his 
wife  and  daughter  in  their  home  life.  He  knew  their 
opinion  of  women  who  lived  in  the  free  manner  of  Western 
women,  as  Stella  did.  He  knew  many  Copts  who  lived 
almost  like  Mussulmans  (apart  from  the  fact  that,  being 


106  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

nominally  Christian,  they  were  by  their  Church  allowed 
only  one  wife),  yet  he  considered  them  many  degrees 
better  in  their  "  mental  attitude  "  towards  women  than 
Mussulmans. 

Stella  and  her  mother  visited  very  formally  a  few 
Mohammedan  women  of  high  rank,  whose  husbands 
were  westernised  enough  to  keep  only  one  wife.  Mr. 
Lekejian  would  not  permit  them  to  go  to  any  harem  where 
the  husband  had  more.  Stella  thought  it  was  rather 
foolish,  as  she  knew  quite  well  that  their  real  reason  for 
having  only  one  wife  was  that  they  were  not  wealthy 
enough  to  give  the  wives  the  dowry  they  could  claim  by 
law  if  they  were  divorced  because  their  husbands  were 
tired  of  them,  and  their  husbands  would  not  care  to  support 
them  in  their  harems  for  no  purpose.  It  was  easier,  they 
said,  to  do  as  European  men  did — have  only  one  wife  in 
their  homes,  but  as  many  mistresses  outside  as  they  chose, 
for  they  would  expect  no  dowry  when  their  little  day  was 
over.  Like  many  excellent  Christians,  Mr.  Lekejian  tried 
to  believe  that  the  Egyptian  Mussulman  when  he  has  only 
one  wife  is  helping  to  raise  the  standard  of  Eastern  morality, 
that  he  is  doing  it  in  the  cause  of  morality,  not  of  necessity, 
because  only  a  few  Egyptians  can  to-day  afford  to  keep  up 
the  old  customs  of  the  harem. 

So  to  Stella  and  her  mother  the  inner  life  of  the  Moham- 
medan women  was  almost  as  much  a  sealed  book  as  it 
was  to  the  ordinary  English  resident. 

When  Nicolas  returned  with  Stella's  cloak  he  looked  a 
little  disturbed.  "  I  think  we  ought  not  to  go,  dear,"  he 
said.  "  Father  has  gone  home — he  may  have  to  leave  for 
Asiut  to-night — and  mother  is  quite  alone  waiting  for  us." 

"  Why  has  father  gone  ?  " 

"  There  has  been  a  disturbance  at  Asiut.  Amin  Ham- 
dulla  (the  Mohammedan)  has  been  elected  Mudir  ;  some  of 
the  English  have  been  badly  knocked  about  by  the  Copts, 
who  think  they  ought  to  have  had  their  support  at  the 
election.  Father  has  gone  to  his  office  to  write  a  leader  on 
the  subject." 

Stella  looked  grave.  She  was  thinking  of  Girgis — how 
angry  he  would  be.  The  Copt  was  really  a  first-class  man  ; 
she  was  sorry  for  his  defeat ;  at  the  same  time,  she  did  not 
believe  that  he  could  have  filled  the  post  of  Mudir  as  well 
as  a  good  Mohammedan. 

She  turned  to  Michael  Ireton.  "  Please  take  me  back  to 
mother.  We  will  go  home.  Nicolas,  will  you  tell  Vernon  t  " 

They  had  almost  reached  the  lighted  rooms,  and  could 
hear  the  babble  of  voices,  before  either  Michael  Ireton  or 
Stella  spoke. 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  107 

"  I  wonder  if  you  realise  how  very  interesting  all  this  is," 
he  said. 

"  All  what  1  "  she  asked.  ...  "  That  ...  do  you 
mean  !  "  She  pointed  her  hand  in  scorn  to  the  lighted 
rooms. 

"  Good  heavens  !  no  ;  I  mean  your  life  outside  of  all  this 
.  .  .  you  are  not  going  to  care  about  this  .  .  .  "  he  took 
her  hand.  "  You  are  so  much  above  it,  so  much  too  good 
for  it,  dear  child  ;  promise  me  you  will  realise  how  little 
it  matters  and  ignore  it." 

"  How  can  I  ?  "  Her  hand  remained  in  his,  the  friend- 
ship of  it  helped  her. 

"  Why  can't  you  ?  "  he  asked.  ...  "  You  don't  really 
care  about  it ;  when  you  analyse  it  you  know  it's  worthless." 

"  Vernon  belongs  to  this  life,"  she  said  ;  "  I  loved  him 
before  I  knew  anything  about  it." 

"  I  wonder  if  you  know  what  love  means  ?  "  He  looked 
into  her  eyes  very  earnestly. 

"  Why  do  you  say  that  1     I  am  not  a  child." 

He  smiled.  "  What  has  that  to  do  with  it  t  "  he  said. 
11  Lots  of  people  have  lived  to  be  seventy,  and  have  been 
married  twice,  and  never  known  what  love  meant." 

She  looked  at  him  almost  sadly.  "  How  is  one  to 
know  ?  "  she  said. 

He  did  not  answer — he  was  not  listening  ;  he  was  thinking 
of  what  he  wished  to  tell  her.  "  May  I  confess  something 
about  myself,"  he  asked  abruptly,  "something  I  would 
like  you  to  know  !  " 

She  nodded  her  head. 

"  Well,  it  is  just  this  :  when  I  first  saw  you,  I  knew  that  I 
could  love  you  madly  if  I  might  let  myself,  and  I  would 
have  let  myself  if  you  had  not  told  me  that  you  were 
engaged  to  Mr.  Thorpe.  I  would  have  tried  to  make  you 
love  me  madly  too  ;  but  I  am  teaching  myself  to  look  upon 
you  in  a  different  way — I  am  taking  up  our  friendship 
from  a  purely  intellectual  standpoint." 

Stella's  heart  was  beating  so  quickly  she  could  scarcely 
speak,  she  managed  to  whisper  :  I  want  your  friendship." 

"  As  I  have  accepted  the  fact  that  you  can  never  be  my 
wife,  let  me  try  to  be  your  dearest  friend,  a  friend  who  will 
never  fail  you." 

"What  can  I  say?  I  never  thought  .  .  ."  she  paused. 
"  Oh  !  but  you  could  never  have  married  me  ;  you  think 
you  would,  but  you  wouldn't." 

"  I  would  have  married  you,"  he  said  roughly.  "  God 
knows  I  would  marry  you  to-morrow  if  I  might,  and 
worship  every  inch  of  you,  body  and  soul."  He  held  her 
hand  more  closely  in  both  of  his. 


108      ^  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

"  Hush  !  "  she  said.  "  Perhaps  I  ought  not  to  let  you 
say  all  this,  but  ..."  her  voice  broke.  "  I  want  your 
friendship,  I  want  your  ..."  she  raised  her  eyes  to  his, 
"  your  understanding  ;  but  is  it  right  t  "  She  was  think- 
ing of  Vernon's  jealousy. 

"  Why  not  !  "  he  said.  "  I  know  you  are  engaged,  I 
know  I  am  too  late  even  to  try  to  make  you  feel  for  me  as 
I  feel  for  you."  He  smiled.  "  How  I  should  have  loved 
to  have  tried,  little  girl !  I  have  often  dreamt  that  I  have 
tried  and  succeeded  :  you  have  loved  me  in  my  dreams, 
Stella  " — he  spoke  softly — "  loved  me  as  I  know  you  are 
capable  of  loving  ;  but  I  am  man  enough  to  act  honourably 
if  you  will  allow  me  to  be  your  trusted  friend." 

She  looked  troubled.  Vernon's  love  for  her  seemed  like 
a  boy's  compared  to  this  man's  ;  she  was  glad  they  had 
almost  crossed  the  threshold  of  the  open  window,  so  that 
she  was  spared  the  difficulty  of  answering  him. 

"  Before  we  go  in  let  me  assure  you  that  I  will  never 
allude  to  my  feelings  for  you  again.  The  subject  of  love 
is  dead  between  us,  it  is  going  to  be  friendship  in  the  future 
— and  you  can  trust  me  ?  You  never  suspected  !  " 

She  evaded  a  direct  denial.  "  The  thought  that  you  care 
for  me  is  very  dear  to  me ;  perhaps  it  shouldn't  be,  but 
I  can't  help  it  ...  I  felt  so  despised  ...  so  rejected  .  .  . 
such  an  alien." 

"  Good  God  !  "  he  said,  but  checked  himself :  "  I  am 
glad  you  can  feel  for  me  like  that ;  and  remember  that  I 
am  offering  my  friendship  for  always  ...  if  the  day 
should  ever  come  when  you  should  need  it  you  have  only 
to  send  for  me.  .  .  .  Remember  that  a  man  loves  to 
serve  the  woman  he  adores,  if  it  is  only  as  a  friend." 

"  Now  say  good-bye,"  ahe  said,  with  smiling  tearfulness, 
for  she  saw  Nicolas  coming  with  her  mother  towards  her. 

"  Good-bye,  Hadassah,"  he  said.  He  had  used  her 
father's  name  for  her,  to  show  her  that  her  people  would 
have  been  his  people.  "  Remember  that  this  is  to  make 
no  difference."  With  her  hand  in  his  he  waited  for  her 
answer.  ...  "No  difference  !"  he  repeated.  " Promise 
me  that." 

"  No  difference,"  she  said,  and  she  thought  that  she 
spoke  the  truth,  but  it  was  not  the  truth,  for  her  eyes 
could  no  longer  look  into  his — that  was  the  difference. 

"  I  only  wanted  you  to  know,"  he  said. 

"  And  I  understand  why  you  wanted  me  to  know," 
she  said ;  "  good-bye,  and  thank  you.  Ma  as-saldmak 
Ikattar  Allah  Kherak,"  she  repeated  the  words  in  Arabic. 

He  answered  her  in  Arabic,  "  Leta'c  a'l'iaA  es-saldm 
alekum  (Good-night — peace  be  on  you  !)." 


(  109 


CHAPTER  XVII 

ON  reaching  home  two  things  troubled  Stella's  peace  of 
mind  and  served  to  throw  into  the  background  all  that 
Michael  Ireton  had  said  to  her,  although  his  words  re- 
mained with  her  as  a  new  solace  for  all  her  troubles. 

The  news  that  her  father  had  suddenly  left  Cairo  for 
Asiut  caused  her  an  anxiety  which  she  dared  not  show  her 
mother,  for  Girgis  Boutros  had  often  warned  her  that  her 
father  had  many  bitter  enemies  amongst  the  most  dis- 
contented faction  of  the  Copts,  on  account  of  the  very 
English  views  he  had  expressed  in  his  leading  articles  in  the 
"  El  Watan  " — the  important  Christian  paper,  written  in 
Arabic,  which  supported  the  British  policy  in  Egypt. 

Amongst  the  few  Copts  who  had  thrown  in  their  lot  with 
the  Moslem  party  who  were  the  ringleaders  of  the  most 
advanced  anti-English  sect,  Mr.  Lekejian  was  looked  upon 
as  a  traitor  to  the  cause  of  Egypt's  liberation  and  self- 
government.  He  was  detested  by  the  Egyptian  Christian 
and  the  Moslem  fanatic.  He  had  used  his  power  in  the 
press  to  suppress  the  seditious  literature  which  filled  the 
native  papers,  and  had  warned  the  rebellious  Copts  that 
in  joining  forces  with  the  Moslem  leaders  of  the  revolu- 
tionary party  they  were  putting  halters  round  their  own 
necks.  He  urged  them  to  consider  what  the  inevitable 
result  would  be  if  they  assisted  in  making  the  English 
evacuate  Egypt,  a  Moslem  Government  would  not  hesitate 
to  rend  in  pieces  the  less  powerful  Christians  who  had 
assisted  them  in  driving  out  their  fellow-unbelievers  from 
the  land. 

Girgis  hau  often  spoken  to  Stella  of  her  father's  fearless 
attitude  towards  the  pan-Islamic  body  and  how  he  had 
more  than  once  felt  anxious  for  his  safety  on  the  occasion 
of  religious  festivals  in  Cairo,  when  Islamic  fanaticism  is 
fanned  to  hysteria!  irresponsibility.  Upon  learning  of  the 
disturbances  at  Asiut  her  father  had  hurried  off  to  the 
scene  of  action,  for,  besides  owning  a  great  deal  of  property 
in  the  town,  which  brought  him  in  a  heavy  rent-roll,  he 
was  one  of  the  governing  body  of  the  city  hospital,  and 
held  various  honorary  posts  in  charitable  institutions  in  the 
neighbourhood.*' Like  many  other  wealthy  Syrians,  he  had 
invested  his  money  in  landed  property  when  it  was  of 
little  value,  before  English  rule  had  brought  commercial 
safety  and  prosperity  to  Egypt.  The  land  he  had  pur- 
chased in  Cairo  for  almost  a  song  was  now  of  immense 
value.  But  it  was  not  for  mere  personal  reasons  he 


110  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

went  to  Asiut,  but  to  do  what  he  could  to  bring  reason  to 
the  minds  of  the  incensed  Christians.  The  disturbances  in 
Asiut  were  entirely  Christian  in  character  ;  the  Moham- 
medans were  only  too  well  pleased  to  have  successfully 
fanned  the  spirit  of  discontent  among  the  Copts  against 
the  English  Government. 

Stella  was  more  than  anxious  for  her  father's  safety: 
added  to  her  fears  for  her  father,  another  difficulty  had 
suddenly  thrust  itself  upon  her  overstrained  nerves — the 
evening  post  had  brought  a  letter  from  Nancy  Thorpe, 
offering  herself  for  a  few  weeks'  visit  to  tin  Lekejians. 
She  had  never  been  in  Egypt,  and  as  her  brother  Vernon 
was  there,  her  aunt,  with  whom  she  lived,  had  consented 
to  let  her  visit  Stella  if  it  was  convenient  for  Mrs.  Lekejian 
to  have  her.  What  was  Stella  to  do  ?  She  was  well 
aware  that  Vernon  would  very  much  prefer  that  his  sister 
should  never  know  the  true  position  Stella  and  her  rela- 
tives held  in  Cairo,  and  she  had  to  confess  to  herself  that 
she  also  would  be  glad  if  little  Nancy  never  knew.  She 
could  not  allow  her  to  come  to  Cairo  unless  she  understood 
exactly  what  she  was  coming  to.  Although  she  would  have 
preferred  that  Nancy  should  not  come,  she  also  knew  that 
she  would  be  furious  if  Vernon  expressed  any  objection 
to  her  coming.  If  he  did  object  to  Nancy's  visit  her  own 
engagement  to  him  must  ^come  to  an  end.  At  the 
very  possibility  of  his  objecting  her  spirit  rose  in  revolt 
...  he  must  not  ...  he  dare  not !  There  flashed  into 
her  mind  the  picture  of  English  Nancy,  with  her  rose- 
leaf  face  and  Saxon  fairness,  a  glaring  contrast  to  Girgis 
Boutros,  with  his  granite  features  and  his  crisp  hair  black 
as  the  wigs  of  the  Egyptian  Pharaohs.  Would  Vernon 
allow  his  sister  to  be  seen  with  a  native  f  Would  Girgis 
complicate  her  difficulties  by  ceasing  to  love  herself  and 
transferring  his  devotion  to  Nancy  t 

Mrs.  Lekejian  had  seen  Stella  open  Nancy's  letter : 
the  girl's  expression  puzzled  her  as  she  read  it  ...  she 
wondered  what  it  contained.  As  a  rule  Stella  handed 
over  Nancy's  letters  for  her  to  read  ;  to-night  her  daughter 
folded  the  letter  up  and  slowly  replaced  it  in  its  envelope, 
saying  as  she  did  so, , "  Good-night,  mother  doarest ;  I 
think  I  shall  go  to  bed  .  .  .  I'm  so  very  tired." 

"  Good-night,  my  darling."  Mrs.  Lekejian  kissed  her 
daughter  tenderly  on  both  cheeks.  She  almost  opened  the 
subject  of  the  evening's  entertainment  at  1he  British 
Agency,  but  she  refrained  ;  Stella's  expression  forbade  any 
confession  of  the  sympathy  she  felt  for  her.  Mrs.  Lekejian 
knew  that  the  party  had  tried  her  daughter's  nerves 
almost  to  breaking  point,  though  she  had  no  idea  Michael 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  111 

Ireton  had  spoken  of  his  love  to  her.  Mrs.  Lekejian  be- 
longed to  the  type  of  women,  who  understand  men  like 
Vernon  Thorpe  better  than  men  like  Michael  Ireton.  If 
she  had  lived  in  England  all  her  life  and  had  never  been 
exposed  to  the  prejudices  and  narrow-mindedness  of  men 
of  Vernon's  kind,  she  would  have  admired  him  ungrudgingly 
she  would  have  found  his  nature  perfectly  in  sympathy 
with  her  own  .  .  .  with  Michael  she  would  never  have  had 
the  same  amount  of  sympathy.  The  seriousness  of  his 
stronger  character  made  her  a  little  shy  with  him,  whereas 
it  was  the  very  seriousness  in  his  nature  which  gave  Stella 
the  feeling  of  rest  in  his  presence,  the  feeling  of  security 
she  so  much  needed.  In  many  respects  she  was  years  older 
than  her  mother,  whose  simplicity  of  character  made  her 
extremely  lovable,  and  gave  her  an  air  of  youthfulness. 
When  Mrs.  Lekejian  left  the  room,  and  Stella  at  last 
found  herself  alone,  she  opened  Nancy's  letter  and  re-read 
it  slowly : 

"MY  DEAREST  STELLA, 

"  The  Lattlejohns  have  invited  me  to  go  to  Egypt  with  them 
at  the  end  of  January.  May  I  spend  a  week  with  you  before  we 
start  on  our  trip  up  the  Nile,  that  is  to  say  if  you  can  conveniently 
have  mo  ?  If  you  can't,  please  say  so,  and  I  will  stay  with  you,  if 
I  may,  when  we  return  from  Assouan.  By  the  way,  when  will  it 
got  too  hot  for  Assouan  ?  And  do  tell  me  what  sort  of  clothes  I 
shall  want  for  the  Nile  voyage.  Oh,  I  forgot  !  I  shan't  have  time 
to  get  your  answer  by  post,  so  will  you  send  me  a  telegram  just  to 
say  '  yes  or  no.'  I  shall  quite  understand  if  you  can't  have  me 
just  now.  Isn't  it  ripping  for  me,  and  won't  it  bo  lovely  seeing  you 
so  soon  1  I  am  bursting  with  excitement.  We  have  heard  very 
little  from  Vernon  lately — I  suppose  he  thinks  he's  busy ;  he  will 
be  surprised  1  How  useful  he'll  be  at  dances  :  I've  got  some  ducky 
party  frocks.  I'm  beginning  to  read  up  books  about  Egypt,  but  I 
oan't  make  head  or  tail  of  the  awful  gods,  and  as  for  tho  cartouches. 
...  I  shall  like  the  desert  far  better  than  the  temples  and 
museums,  I'm  sure. 

' '  Now,  good-bye,  dear  girl ;  some  one  is  waiting  to  post  this. 
I  do  hope  you  can  have  me : 

"  Yours  in  great  glee, 

"  NANCY. 

"  P.S. — It's  all  been  so  sudden  that  I  can't  believe  it's  true." 

Tears  came  into  Stella's  eyes  as  she  folded  up  the  letter. 
Gay  and  light-hearted  Nancy  who  adored  her,  of  what 
use  would  her  dance-frocks  be  1  She  belonged  to  the  very 
sort  of  people  who,  if  they  had  come  out  to  Egypt  as 
strangers,  would  have  classed  Stella,  as  "  Native,"  as 
an  "  Impossible  Levantine ! "  She  almost  hated  the 
girl  for  it,  yet  she  felt  sure  that  if  she  allowed  Nancy  to  yi«i< 


112  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

her  she  would  be  loyal  and  true  to  her,  and  would 
refuse  to  know  any  of  the  English  residents  who  had 
ignored  herself  and  her  people.  In  the  morning  she 
would  have  to  tell  Vernon  what  Nancy's  letter  contained. 
She  wondered  what  he  would  say  !  .  .  .  how  he  would 
look  t  Stella  was  determined  that  she  would  not  put 
Nancy  off  with  excuses,  that  she  would  not  fall  in  with 
the  idea  she  was  so  sure  Vernon  would  express,  of  making 
some  excuse  to  stop  her  coming,  and  getting  married  before 
the  next  Cairo  season  and  going  home  ;  in  this  way  Nancy 
and  his  people  need  never  know  the  position  Stella  held  in 
Cairo.  *  Stella  laughed  bitterly  to  herself.  ''  It's  a  merciful 
thing  that  Syrians  are  not  coloured  people,  though  they 
might  well  be,  for  the  social  stigma  that  is  flung  at  them, 
or  I  might  have  a  black  baby,  and  that  would  give  the 
secret  away.  .  .  ."  There  must  be  no  secret  :  her  people 
were  as  good  as  the  Thorpes  any  day  :  intellectually  she 
knew  that  they  were  their  superiors. 

It  was  not  until  long  after  the  late  night-noises  had  died 
down,  the  mysterious  noises  of  an  Oriental  land,  and  still- 
ness reigned  over  the  city  of  a  hundred  minarets  and  over 
the  desert  tombs  of  the  Caliphs,  that  Stella  went  to  bed  ; 
•he  had  sat  by  her  window  lost  in  a  mirage  of  thought. 

There  also  was  the  knowledge  of  Michael  Ireton's  con- 
fession that  he  loved  her  ;  it  gave  her  an  indescribable  and 
delicious  pleasure,  for  there  is  no  tender-hearted  woman 
living  who  does  not  derive  comfort  and  satisfaction  from 
the  reflection  that  she  has  made  a  strong  man  love  her — 
strong  intellectually  as  well  as  physically.  She  wondered 
how  she  would  have  felt  towards  him  if  he  had  tried  to 
make  her  love  him  madly,  as  he  had  said  .  .  .  how  she 
would  have  felt  towards  him  if  she  had  never  met  Vernon  1 
If  only  the  two  men  could  be  made  into  one,  what  an  ideal 
combination  they  would  make  ! 

The  first  mueddin  had  sounded  before  she  fell  asleep. 
She  woke  with  a  start,  for  in  her  dreams  Nancy  was  in 
Cairo,  and  had  come  into  the  drawing-room  when  Michael 
Ireton's  arms  were  round  her  and  Michael  Ireton's  lips 
were  pressed  against  her  own.  A  flame  of  shame  burned 
in  Stella's  being :  she  was  revolting  to  herself,  and  yet 
at  the  back  of  her  mind  lay  a  little  unconscious  regret  that 
things  were  only  as  they  had  been  the  night  before  ! 

When  her  Coptic  maid  brought  her  early  cup  of  tea  there 
was  a  note  on  the  tray  in  Michael  Ireton's  handwriting 
She  opened  it  hurriedly.  What  could  he  have  to  say  1 

"  DEAR  HADASSAH, 

"  I  saw  your  brother  late  last  night,  after  he  had  taken  yon 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  113 

home.  I  hoar  that  you  are  anxious  for  your  father's  safety  in  Asiut, 
so  I  am  going  there  this  morning.  I  know  I  can't  do  much,  but  I 
will  keep  you  informed  of  your  father's  safety,  which  may  be  of 
some  comfort  to  you. 

"  We  can  do  the  Coptic  churches  together  another  time,  and  I 
believe  Mr.  Thorpe  will  bo  just  as  well  pleased  as  I  should  be,  under 
the  same  circumstances,  if  I  am  not  there.  God  bless  you, 
Hadassah,  and  don't  forgot  that  I  am  your  friend  for  always, 

"  MICHAEL  IRETON." 

Michael  had  gone  to  Asiut  because  her  father  was  there 
.  .  .  here  was  kindness  indeed  !  But  if  there  was  any 
trouble  in  Asiut,  would  her  father  be  allowed  to  stay  in  the 
city  ?  And  if  he  was,  would  Michael  not  also  be  in  danger  ? 
The  feeling  would  be  very  strong  against  all  foreigners,  for 
as  Asiut  in  almost  completely  a  Coptic  city,  the  Moham- 
medan element  would  be  largely  outbalanced.  Besides, 
it  would  suit  the  Nationalist  party  very  well  to  allow  the 
Copts  to  treat  the  foreign  Christians  as  insultingly  as  they 
pleased. 

Stella  did  not  know  whether  Michael's  going  relieved  her 
mind,  or  had  added  one  more  anxiety  to  the  many. 

She  slipped  on  her  bedroom -gown  and  went  to  her 
mother's  room.  When  her  mother  answered  the  gentle 
knock,  she  was  little  prepared  to  see  her  daughter's  large 
eyes  looking  at  her  from  a  very  pale  face.  "  Come  in, 
dearest,"  she  said.  "  What  news  has  the  post  brought 
TOM  ?  "  She  saw  Michael  Ireton's  letter  in  her  daughter's 


"  May  I  get  into  bed  with  you,  mum  dear,  and  I'll  tell 
you  ?  " 

Mrs.  Lekejian  opened  up  the  bed -clothes  and  made  a 

Elace  for  her  daughter  by  her  side.  Since  the  days  when 
tella  had  spent  her  long  holidays  with  her  mother,  and 
had  been  allowed  to  get  into  bed  with  her  in  the  mornings, 
she  had  never  lain  there.  Stella  felt  once  more  like  a  little 
rhild  ;  once  more  her  mother  was  her  comforter  and 
protector. 

"  Mother,"  she  said,  after  a  moment's  silence,  "  Mr. 
Ireton  has  gone  to  Asiut  this  morning." 

Mrs.  Lekejian  looked  at  her  daughter  with  inquiring 
eyes. 

"  He  thought  we  might  be  worrying  about  father.  He 
went  on  his  account." 

"  How  kind  of  him  !  "  Something  in  Stella's  eyes  em- 
barrassed her  mother. 

"  He  is  the  kindest  thing  I  have  ever  known ; 
there  never  was  any  one  so  kind  ..."  she  handed  her 
mother  Michael's  note.  Mrs.  Lekejian  read  it. 


114  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

"  Stella !  " 

Their  eyes  met  for  one  moment,  then  Stella's  dropped. 
She  could  not  speak  to  her  mother  of  this  man's  love  for 
her,  for  had  he  not  said  that  she  was  to  forget  it,  that  he 
had  conquered  it,  that  he  was  from  henceforth  to  be  only 
her  friend  1  He  was  going  to  Asiut  in  a  spirit  of  friendship, 
not  of  love.  .  .  . 

"  I  have  something  else  to  say  to  you,  mother.  Nancy 
wants  to  pay  us  a  visit — she  is  coming  out  to  Egypt  directly. 
She  asks  me  to  wire  to  her  if  you  can  take  her.  ..." 

There  was  a  pause. 

"  Of  course  we  can  take  her,  dearest."  Mrs.  Lekejian's 
voice  trembled  a  little. 

"  Mother,"  Stella  said,  forcing  herself  to  speak — "  if 
Vernon  shouldn't  want  her  to  come  1  " 

Mrs.  Lekejian  did  not  reply,  and  in  the  silence  mother  and 
daughter  heard  the  quicker  beating  of  each  of  their  hearts. 

"I  must  tell  Vernon  she  wants  to  come.  If  he  should 
object  .  .  ."  Stella's  voice  died  away,  she  pulled  the 
bed-clothes  over  her  face.  ..."  Oh,  mother  !  " 

The  nert  moment  Mrs.  Lekejian's  arms  were  round  her, 
she  was  holding  her  child  very  closely  to  her.  "  My 
dearest,"  she  said.  "  Oh,  my  dearest !  I  sometimes 
wish  I  had  never  been  born.  What  have  I  done  t  what 
have  I  done  t  " 

"  Hush,  mother,  don't !  It's  no  one's  fault,  it's  some- 
thing far  beyond  human  blame."  For  a  little  time  they 
held  each  other  very  closely.  Arms  of  love  were  what 
Stella  needed  at  the  moment. 

"  We  may  be  mistaken,  darling.  Perhaps  Vernon  will 
be  glad  that  Nancy  is  coming ;  we  mustn't  blame  him 
before  we  know." 

"  He  may  not,  mum  .  .  .  but  if  he  objects,  he  must 
remember  that  between  him  and  my  people  there  is  no 
choice." 

"  Oh,  Stella  !  "  Mrs.  Lekejian's  eyes  filled  with  tears. 
She  did  not  blame  her  daughter,  for  she  knew  what  her 
feelings  must  be  towards  a  race  of  people  with  whom  she 
had  little  in  common,  and  she  remembered  how  she  herself 
had  renounced  her  own  people  for  her  husband  ;  but  she  did 
not  know  her  daughter,  she  had  not  reckoned  with  the 
Irish  pride  that  had  descended  to  her  through  her  own 
blood  ;  she  did  not  realise  her  unswerving  allegiance  to  her 
own  flesh  and  blood. 

"  I  mean,  mother,  that  if  my  people  are  not  to  be  Ver- 
non's  ...  if  he  objects  to  Nancy  entering  Cairene  society 
under  your  chaperonage  from  father's  roof,  I  will  never 
become  his  wife." 


115 

A  cry  of  pity  burst  from  her  mother's  lips.  "  But  you 
love  him,  Stella  !  .  .  .  Oh,  my  child  !  my  child,"  Be- 
wilderment and  dismay  filled  her. 

"  I  love  him  and  hate  him,  mother  !  " 

"  Has  he  ever  said  anything,  anything  about  .  .  .  t  " 

"  He  wishes  me  to  go  to  England  and  wait  there  until  he 
comes  home  .  .  .  then  he  will  marry  me  !  " 

"  But  could  you  not,  dearest !  .  .  .  I  can't  bear  to  see 
you  suffer.  .  .  .  He  may  be  wise,  he  may  be  considering 
your  happiness,  not  his  own  feelings." 

A  cry  was  torn  from  Stella's  heart.  She  had  risen  to 
go  to  her  own  room,  but  she  flung  herself  across  her  mother's 
bed  in  a  passion  of  weeping.  ...  "  Don't,  mother,  don't 
tempt  me,  don't  be  like  Vernon — I  can't  bear  it ;  the  half 
of  me  that  he  owns  can't  stand  the  temptation,  but  it's 
the  lower  half  of  me  !  "  .  .  .  The  other  half,  which  he 
doesn't  know,  and  won't  even  try  to  understand,  won't 
allow  me  to  be  a  traitor  to  my  people,  to  my  father,  to 
you,  to  Nicolas.  It  won't  allow  me  to  humble  my  head  in 
the  dust  for  the  sake  of  his  love.  .  .  ."  She  stopped  ; 
her  eyes  sought  her  mother's.  ...  "  Oh  1  pray  God, 
mother,  that  the  other  half  won't  win." 

Her  mother  could  not  speak,  for  the  thoughts  that  filled 
her  mind  must  not  be  spoken,  even  to  her  own  child.  She 
had  not  lived  in  Cairo  and  mixed  in  the  strange  society  of 
European- Orientals  for  twenty  years  without  having  learnt 
something  of  their  true  natures,  but  her  love  for  her  hus- 
band had  never  allowed  her  to  utter  one  word  of  her  real 
feeling  towards  them. 

After  her  outburst  of  weeping  Stella  became  perfectly 
self-possessed.  "  I  am  making  a  mountain  out  of  nothing," 
she  said  ;  "  please  forget  how  stupid  I've  been.  Vernon's 
coming  for  me  at  nine  o'clock,  so  I  must  hurry." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  t  " 

"  We  were  going  to  see  some  Coptic  churches  together." 

"  Why  do  you  say  you  were  f     Are  you  not  t  " 

"  Because  Mr.  Ireton  was  coming  too  ...  in  fact  he  and 
I  had  planned  to  do  them  together,  and  then  I  asked 
Vernon  to  come  with  us." 

"  He  won't  enjoy  them,  will  he  t  " 

"  But  I  shall,"  Stella  smiled.  "  It's  no  use  allowing 
him  to  think  that  I'm  always  going  to  do  only  the  things 
he  likes,  mother,  is  it  t  " 

"  Not  a  bit,  dear,  if  you  will  enjoy  it." 

"  I  should  not  enjoy  not  doing  them,  because  that  would 
be  doing  just  what  I  try  so  hard  not  to  do." 

"  What  is  that,  dear." 

"  Giving  in  to  him  on  every  point  when  he  is  there  to 


116  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

urge  it  ...  and  persuading  myself  that  I  am  going  to  be 
BO  strong-minded  when  I'm  by  myself." 

"The  old-fashioned  woman  always  did  give  in,  dear 
.  .  .  Do  you  think  they  were  any  the  unhappier  for  it  t  " 

"  So  did  the  harem  woman,  mother,  because  she  was 
neglected  if  she  didn't." 

'  My  dearest !  "  Tears  sprang,  like  summer  rain,  into 
Mrs.  Lekejian's  eyes. 

Stella's  arms  went  round  her.  "  Mum,  dear,  I  didn't 
mean  anything  .  .  .  really,  I  didn't,  only  I  want  to  stamp 
right  out  of  my  nature  all  the  elements  of  the  Eastern 
woman's  attitude  towards  men,  and  I  sometimes  think 
that  my  love  for  Vernon  is  primitive  and  Eastern.  .  .  . 
It  has  nothing  to  do  with  my  intellectual  nature  .  .  . 
there  are  moments  when  I  should  like  Vernon  to  take  me 
away  and  shut  me  up  in  a  castle  and  keep  me  all  to  himself, 
keep  me  from  hearing  or  knowing  anything  about  all  the 
great  and  important  subjects  of  the  day.  ...  I'd  enjoy 
it,  mother.  .  .  .  Are  you  ashamed  of  me  t  " 

Mrs.  Lekejian  smiled  as  she  thought  to  herself  how 
every  woman  has  longed  to  be  a  slave  to  some  man's  pas- 
sion. But  she  only  said  :  "  It's  a  natural  instinct,  it  will 
pass  ;  it's  nothing  unusual." 

Stella  shook  her  head.  ...  "  It's  more  than  that, 
mother.  .  .  .  It's  stronger  than  that  .  .  .  it's  the  East 
and  the  West  horribly  muddled  up  in  me." 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

STELLA  and  Vernon  were  just  starting  off  to  see  the  Coptic 
churches  in  Babylon,  which  is  the  name  of  the  portion  of 
the  native  city  of  Cairo  where  the  Coptic  churches  lie 
hidden  away  like  the  secret  meeting-houses  of  the  early 
Christians  in  Rome,  when  their  exit  was  stopped  by  the 
appearance  of  their  d:'gnifled  servant,  Joseph,  who  told 
Stella  that  a  young  dragoman  had  called  and  had  asked 
to  see  her  father ;  on  hearing  that  he  was  not  at  home,  he 
had  asked  if  he  could  see  her  brother.  When  he  was  told 
that  Nicolas  also  was  not  in  the  house  he  had  entreated  to 
be  allowed  to  speak  to  the  daughter  of  the  house  .  .  .  his 
business  being  most  urgent. 

Stella  turned  to  Vernon.  "  I  had  better  see  him  for  a 
moment.  '  What  is  his  name  t  "  ghe  asked  Joseph. 

"  Mahmud  Hamdi." 

"That's  the  name  of  the  young  Arab  who  showed  us 
over  the  pyramids  about  a  year  ago.  I  wonder  what  he 
wants  t  Do  you  mind  coming  into  the  library  with  me 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  117 

while  I  see  him  ?  "  Vernon  followed  her  into  the  library 
which  was  also  Mr.  Lekejian's  private  office.  "  I  will  see 
him  in  here,"  Stella  said  to  Joseph.  "  Tell  him  I  have 
only  five  minutes  to  spare." 

At  Joseph's  bidding  a  superb  young  Arab  stepped  quietly 
into  the  room  and  salaamed  profoundly.  Vernon  was 
amazed  at  the  dignity  of  his  bearing,  and  at  the  elegance 
with  which  he  wore  his  rich  dress.  His  was  not  the 
usual  bizarre  uniform  of  a  dragoman — nothing  could 
have  been  in  better  taste  or  more  pleasing  to  the  eye  than 
his  native  outfit. 

"  You  remember  me,  my  lady  ?  "  he  said  in  English. 

"  Yes,  I  remember  you  .  .  .  you  are  Mahmud  Hamdi. 
.  .  .  What  do  you  wish  to  tell  me  I  " 

Stella  spoke  coldly,  and  there  was  impatience  in  her 
voice :  these  fine  young  dragomen  were  vain  creatures  ;  it 
did  not  do  to  treat  them  graciously,  although  their  manners 
suggested  the  most  perfect  breeding. 

Mahmud  smiled  softly.  His  delicate  teeth  shone  like 
jewels  against  his  clearly-chiselled  lips,  which  were  child- 
ishly pink  and  smooth.  "  My  lady,  there  is  much  trouble 
in  my  famine  ;  I  come  to  ask  your  father's  advice." 

"  Why  do  you  consult  my  father  f  "  Stella  said.  "  He 
is  a  Christian." 

"  No  matter,  my  lady,  him  very  just  man,  him  write 
to  the  papers  and  tell  Lord  Minton  ?  " 

"  What  has  happened  ?  "  Stella  said.  "  Please  tell  me 
quickly  ;  I  am  going  out  ;  I  have  very  little  time." 

"  Yes,  my  lady,  I  will  tell  you  very  soon.  .  .  .  Your 
gen-le-man  him  wait  a  little,  him  very  kind.  .  .  .  My 
father  rich  man,  him  own  much  land  ;  him  not  want  for 
anything." 

"  Yea,  yes,"  Stella  said.  "  I  know  all  about  your 
family." 

"  Very  well,  my  lady,  my  big  brother  him  in  prison  for 
stealing  antiquities.  It  one  big  lie,  my  lady  ;  my  brother 
no  need  of  any  money,  my  father  give  him  plenty,  plenty, 
plenty  !  "  Mahmud  waved  his  hand  to  suggest  the  rolling 
ocean  of  wealth  which  his  father  distributed  amongst  his 
sons. 

"  Then  why  is  he  in  prison  ?  " 

"  I  will  tell  you,  my  lady  .  .  .  Mohammed  Hassan  very 
jealous  of  him,  Mohammed  him  pay  the  courts  £700  to 
put  my  brother  in  prison." 

"  And  what  do  you  want  my  father  to  do  ?  " 

"  My  lady,  if  your  father  tell  Lord  Minton,  him  very  just 
man  ;  him  give  order  to  have  case  tried  again  in  English 
courts." 


118  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

"  Oh,"  Stella  said.  "  That's  it :  your  brother  was  tried  in 
a  native  court  and  was  sentenced  by  a  native  judge  :  now 
you  wish  the  case  tried  in  the  English  courts  :  you  believe 
in  English  justice  t  " 

"  Yes,  my  lady,  because  my  brother  him  innocent ; 
every  one  knows  Mohammed  Hassan  bribed  the  jury ; 
him  very  bad  man." 

Stella  looked  at  Vernon.  ...  "  You  have  heard  all 
this  f  "  she  said. 

"  Yes,"  Vernon  said.  .  .  .  He  didn't  believe  a  word  oi 
what  the  man  had  said,  because  it  was  not  in  his  nature 
to  believe  anything  that  an  Oriental  said,  unquestioned. 
.  .  .  Stella  knew  that  the  Arab  was  probably  speaking  the 
truth,  because  his  father  was  a  reputedly  wealthy  man,  and 
his  sons  bore  the  character  of  being  honest  and  trust- 
worthy ;  but  what  interested  her  was  the  confession  from 
the  lips  of  this  same  young  man  who  had  talked  to  her  so 
finely  upon  the  subject  of  "  Egypt  for  the  Egyptians," 
the  day  he  had  acted  as  her  guide  to  the  pyramids,  that 
the  native  courts  were  corrupt,  and  that  he  was  now  anxious 
to  have  his  brother's  case  tried  again  in  the  British  courts. 
It  was  typical  of  the  ethics  of  the  Nationalist  party  in 
Cairo. 

"  And  you  think  the  native  courts  are  corrupt  1  " 

"  I  know  it,  my  lady  :  if  your  father  tell  Lord  Minton, 
him  try  my  brother's  case  in  English  courts." 

Stella  was  silent  for  a  moment. 

Mohammed  turned  his  attention  to  Vernon.  "  Mister 
.  .  .  you  not  seen  pyramids  t  I  not  seen  you  there.  .  .  . 
To-night  very  fine  moon  :  you  bring  young  lady  to  see 
pyramids,  I  find  most  splendid  camels  ;  you  enjoy  very 
good  excursion.  I  very  fine  dragoman  :  ii  yon  not  want 
camels  I  take  you  very  nice  walk,  no  tourist  peoples,  all 
very  quiet  and  nice  for  young  lady  and  gen-le-man." 

"  No,  thank  you,"  Vernon  said,  "  you  stick  to  your 
business  about  your  brother." 

Stella  smiled,  for  Vernon  was  speaking  to  the  magnifi- 
cently dressed  Arab  as  though  he  was  a  street  merchant 
selling  fly-switches — whereas  he  was  really  the  son  of  a 
wealthy  landed  proprietor. 

"Well,  Mahmud,"  Stella  said  thoughtfully,  "  if  I  ask 
my  father  to  use  his  influence  on  your  brother's  behalf, 
will  you  promise  me  that  when  you  are  talking  about 
Egypt  for  the  Egyptians,  you  will  remember,  that  you  na 
longer  want  Egyptian  judges  in  your  courts.  Will  you 
tell  all  the  tourists,  when  you  speak  about  the  injustice  ot 
the  English  people  filling  the  posts  in  your  Government 
w'ii"h  might  be  held  by  natives,  that  you  have  changed 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  119 

your  mind — that  you  by  personal  experience  know  that 
Egypt  is  not  yet  ready  for  self-government — tell  them 
that  you  came  to  my  father,  who  is  a  Christian,  to  ask  him 
to  help  you  to  have  your  brother's  case  tried  in  the  un- 
corrupt  English  courts  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  my  lady,  certainly  !  I  will  promise  every- 
thing you  wish." 

Mahmud  was  eager  to  promise  anything,  for  his  talk  of 
Egypt  for  the  Egyptians  had  only  been  froth,  as  most  of 
the  fine  talk  of  the  young  Egyptians  in  Cairo  is.  "  My 
lady,  I  tell  everybody  English  peoples  the  most  just  in  the 
world  ...  I  tell  everybody  if  English  courts  send  a  man 
to  prison  that  man  him  guilty." 

"  Very  well,"  Stella  said,  "  I'll  see  what  my  father  can 
do." 

Mahmud  salaamed  respectfully.  "  My  lady,  I  thank 
you."  He  turned  to  Vernon  :  My  gen-le-man,  if  you 
come  to  see  pyramids  you  not  forget  Mahmud  Hamdi. 
Good  morning,  my  lady  ;  good  morning,  my  gen-le-man." 

"  Good  morning,"  Stella  said,  "  and  don  t  you  forget 
that  the  native  courts  are  corrupt." 

When  the  Arab  had  left  Vernon  said,  "  Dp  you  believe 
a  word  that  beggar  said  ?  Do  you  think  this  brother  did 
steal  the  curios  !  " 

"  No,"  Stella  said  thoughtfully.  "  I  shouldn't  think 
he  did  :  they're  very  well  off,  though  Mahmud  will  take 
a  few  piastres  for  a  morning's  work  if  you  can't  afford  to 
give  him  any  more  or  won't  give  it  him.  I  should  think 
that  his  story's  true — the  native  courts  are  dreadfuDy 
corrupt.  ..."  She  turned  to  her  lover  smilingly : 
"  That's  one  thing  I  think  no  one  will  deny — that  the 
English  courts  are  the  best  and  straightest  in  the  world." 

I'm  glad  we've  one  virtue  in  your  eyes."     Vernon  had 
Hot  forgotten  their  quarrel  of  the  evening  before. 

"  I  think  you're  all  virtues  and  prejudices  ;  the  English 
are  singularly  free  from  big  vices  and  the  petty  sins  of 
corruption — perhaps  your  prejudice  is  only  the  self- 
righteousness  of  a  naturally  wncorrupt  nation." 

When  they  arrived  at  the  point  at  which  they  were  to 
meet  Michael  Ireton,  Stella  said,  "  Mr.  Ireton  isn't  coming 
with  us  ;  I  had  a  note  from  him  this  morning — he's  gone 
to  Asiut."  «• 

"  Whatever  for  1  Isn't  there  some  disturbance  going 
on  there  T  I  read  rather  a  nasty  account  of  it  in  the  paper 
this  morning  ;  I  should  think  English  people  had  better 
give  Asiut  a  wide  berth  at  present." 

"  My  father  had  to  go  there  last  night.  Mr.  Ireton 
thought  that  mother  and  I  would  be  anxious  about  him, 


120  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

so  he  went  off  this  morning.  Besides,  he  wanted  to  see 
for  himself  what  was  going  on  :  he's  awfully  interested  in 
this  Copt  question,  and  indeed  in  almost  everything  con- 
nected with  Egypt." 

Vernon  did  not  speak. 

Stella  understood  why,  although  he  had  a  very  excellent 
excuse  for  not  doing  so,  for  they  were  passing  through 
one  of  the  narrowest  and  most  crowded  streets  in  the 
native  town.  .  .  .  Scantily  clothed  men,  carrying  goat- 
skins full  of  water  for  sale,  were  barging  into  them  with  fear- 
ful yells,  and  at  unexpected  corners  camels'  heads  appeared 
high  above  their  own,  their  soft  tread  giving  no  warning  of 
their  near  approach.  White  donkeys,  bearing  fat  women 
enveloped  in  black,  trotted  along  regardless  of  whether 
there  was  room  for  the  market  produce  they  carried  in 
their  wallets  to  crush  its  way  through  the  crowd  of  loafing 
and  hurrying  people. 

Vernon  hated  the  whole  thing ;  the  smells  and  the  flies 
and  the  noise.  They  far  outweighed  in  his  mind  the  ex- 
quisite beauty  of  the  mosque  domes,  which  looked  as  though 
they  were  made  of  delicate  lace  against  the  blue  of  the 
African  sky ;  and  if  there  were  minarets  overhead,  from 
which  the  call  to  prayer  had  sounded  five  times  a  day  for 
over  five  hundred  years,  he  did  not  see  them  ;  if  there  was  a 
feast  of  colour  and  a  banquet  of  beauty  hi  the  old  meshre- 
biya  window-screens  of  the  mediaeval  houses,  it  was  all  to 
him  a  filthy  place,  not  fit  for  ladies  to  pass  through.  He 
wished  to  God  that  Stella  didn't  care  for  old  things  ;  it 
would  have  been  so  jolly  out  at  the  Ghezira  Sports  Club,  or 
motoring  by  the  banks  of  the  Nile,  where  there  was  some- 
thing green  and  clean  to  look  at.  The  difficulty  of  walking 
and  seeing  that  Stella  was  not  molested  occupied  all  his 
attention,  while  at  the  back  of  his  mind  there  was  the 
irritating  thought  that  Michael  Ireton  had  gone  to  Asiut 
to  please  Stella.  When  at  last  they  reached  the  particular 
church  Stella  had  chosen  to  see,  they  found  that  a  service 
was  going  on.  A  dozen  choir-boys  were  squatting  on 
the  floor  at  the  feet  of  the  priests.  Their  behaviour  was 
BO  shocking  that  before  Stella  and  Vernon  had  been  in 
the  church  a  minute  one  of  the  priests,  who  wore  a  white 
garment  with  a  Coptic  cross  on  bis  back,  of  bright  scarlet, 
stooped  down,  and  picking  up  a  wooden  clog  which  one 
of  the  boys  had  discarded,  threw  it  angrily  at  the  most 
unruly  member. 

A  number  of  women,  who  were  all  very  closely  veiled  and 
enveloped  in  black  shawls,  were  sitting  on  the  floor  in  a  sort 
of  pen  which  was  hidden  by  the  finest  meshrebiya  screens  ; 
they  were  nuns,  and  had  evidently  come  in  from  the  con- 


A  WIFE  OUT  OP  EGYPT  l2l 

vent  which  formed  a  part  of  the  extraordinary  building. 
Certainly  Vernon  had  never  been  in  any  church  the  least 
like  it  before — it  was  far  more  pagan  and  mysterious  than 
the  open  and  spacious  Mohammedan  mosques,  most  of 
which  he  admired  ungrudgingly.  Everything  about  this 
Coptic  Church  jarred  on  him,  the  close  atmosphere,  the 
certainty  of  vermin,  the  irreverent  attitude  of  the  officiating 
priest.  Stella  was  intensely  interested,  but  she  made  a 
sign  to  Vernon  that  they  would  go  ;  she  saw  that  he  was 
bored,  and  she  did  not  wish  to  force  her  point.  She  had 
had  her  way  and  so,  after  they  had  walked  hurriedly 
through  the  convent,  where  the  black-swathed  nuns  were 
squatting  on  their  bare  kitchen  floor,  drinking  coffee  out 
of  very  small  cups,  she  determined  to  let  him  off  sight- 
seeing. 

The  Coptic  retreat  for  women  who  had  determined  never 
to  marry  was  altogether  sordid  and  unemotional.  As  they 
descended  the  staircase  a  Coptic  youth  met  them  at  the 
bottom  of  it  and  implored  Stella  to  enter  the  lower  church  ; 
it  was  much  more  open,  and  larger,  and  had  been  freely 
restored.  .  .  .  Vernon  exclaimed :  "  Surely  you've  had 
enough  for  one  morning  !  I  can't  stand  that  awful  atmos- 
phere any  more  :  do  come  along." 

The  Coptic  youth  in  European  clothes  implored  her 
again  ;  he  saw  a  chance  of  improving  his  imperfect  English 
and  of  relieving  the  monotony  of  the  long  and  wearying 
service  by  gloating  upon  Stella's  beauty. 

When  she  refused  and  turned  away,  Vernon  gave  a  deep 
sigh  of  relief. 

Stella  smiled.     "  You're  glad  that's  over." 

"  Yes,  rather.  I  hate  these  beastly  smelly  places.  The 
mosques  are  lovely ;  if  only  there  was  anywhere  to  sit 
down  in  them,  we  could  go  into  one  and  talk  .  .  .  but 
these  dark  churches  hold  all  the  smells  and  dirt  that  have 
ever  got  into  them  since  the  time  of  St.  Mark.  I  say," 
he  cried  eagerly,  "  do  let's  go  out  to  the  pyramids,  and 
get  some  of  the  clear  air  of  the  desert  into  our  lungs." 

Stella  agreed  willingly  ;  it  was  on  her  mind  that  Nancy's 
visit  had  to  be  spoken  about,  and  she  thought  that  the 
desert  would  be  a  very  good  place  to  introduce  the  subject. 

As  soon  as  they  could  find  an  arabeah  which  looked  clean 
enough  to  drive  in,  they  dashed  off  at  a  break-neck  pace  to 
the  point  where  the  tram  starts  for  the  pyramids  and  the 
Mena  House  Hotel.  It  was  not  much  after  eleven  o'clock 
when  they  found  themselves  seated  in  the  desert  just  under 
the  pyramids. 

The  sweet  air  after  the  close  atmosphere  of  the  city 
was  so  invigorating,  that  Vernon  was  soon  in  one 
i 


122  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

of  his  sunniest  moods.  He  had  no  wish  to  talk,  nor  had 
Stella ;  they  were  absoluetly  alone,  for  tourists  never 
wander  into  this  lower  portion  of  the  desert ;  but  now  and 
then  little  native  Arcadian  scenes  would  unfold  themselves 
before  their  eyes  with  a  simplicity  and  naturalness  which 
was  in  keeping  with  the  soul  of  the  desert. 

"  I  don't  mind  these  desert  people  a  bit,"  Vernon  said  ; 
"  they're  all  right.  ...  I  suppose  they  are  Arabs  T  " 

"  Yes,  Bedouin  Arabs.  The  people  in  the  villages  round 
the  pyramids  pride  themselves  on  the  pureness  of  their 
Arab  blood." 

There  was  silence  again.  Vernon  was  thinking  that  he 
wouldn't  mind  in  the  least  if  all  Stella's  aunts  and  cousins 
were  of  pure  Arab  blood,  if  they  were  as  simple  and  dignified 
as  these  quiet  villagers. 

Stella  was  saying  to  herself,  "  Now  I  must  tell  him  about 
Nancy." 

"  Vernon,"  she  said  abruptly,  "  I  had  a  letter  from  Nancy 
this  morning." 

"  Hullo  !  "  he  said,  "  how  is  she  ?  .  .  .  Nancy  would 
love  this  ..."  ho  indicated  the  desert  ..."  wouldn't 
she  t  But  Lord  !  how  she'd  hate  those  beastly  churches. 
By  the  way,  why  did  every  man  who  came  in  carry  a 
crutch  t — they  couldn't  all  be  lame  !  " 

Stella  smiled.  "  They  must  not  sit  during  service,  and 
the  services  often  last  for  hours  ;  they  carry  crutches  to  rest 
upon  while  praying." 

"  How  odd  !  They  are  so  strict  about  some  things  and 
so  slack  about  others  !  "  He  lapsed  into  silence  again. 

"  Nancy  says  she  is  coming  to  Egypt ;  she  will  be  in  Cairo 
next  Thursday." 

Vernon  sprang  to  a  sitting  position — he  had  been  lying 
at  full  length  on  the  sand.  "  Good  Lord  !  Stella,  do  you 
mean  it  ?  " 

"  Yes,  here's  her  letter."  She  handed  it  to  him  ;  her 
heart  was  beating  very  quickly.  Vernon  read  it  through 
without  comment ;  for  a  few  moments  they  remained  silent. 

"  Well  t  "  she  said. 

"  Well  f  "  Vernon  said  slowly.  "  I  wish  it  needn't  have 
been,  but  I  suppose  it  can't  be  helped." 

"  You  wish  what  needn't  have  been  t  " 

"  Nancy's  coming  to  Cairo." 

"  Why  f  " 

"  You  know  why,  dear  ;  and  what's  more,  you  ish  it 
too,  you  can't  deny  it." 

"  I  don't  wish  it,"  Stella  said  emphatically,  but  she 
knew  she  was  lying  as  she  spoke.  "  You  mean  you're 
ashamed  of  me  and  my  people  f  " 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  123 

1  Dearest,  how  can  you  say  so  ?  " 

'  Because  it's  true.  .  .  .  I've  not  wired  to  Nancy  yet, 
but  1  must  do  so  when  I  go  back." 

'  What  are  you  going  to  say  ?  " 

'  That  depends." 

'  Upon  what  1  " 

4  Your  wishes." 

'  Dearest,"  he  said  eagerly,  "  how  nice  of  you  !  Of 
course  I'd  much  rather  she  didn't  come,"  he  turned  to  the 
letter  again  ..."  but  she's  actually  on  her  way  out  now, 
BO  whether  she  stays  in  Cairo  or  not  she'll  be"  in  Egypt. 
.  .  ."  He  paused.  ...  "  What's  to  be  done  I  Great 
Scot !  " 

"  Oh  !  it's  quite  simple,"  Stella  said.  er  words  fell 
very  slowly  from  her  lips  ;  they  were  like  drops  of  ice. 

"  How  is  it  quite  simple  T  " 

"  I'll  wire  to  her  that  we  can't  have  her  when  she  arrives  ; 
then  I'll  write  to  her  and  explain  everything :  if  she  chooses 
to  come  to  us  after  her  trip  up  the  Nile  it  won't  matter  to 
you." 

The  tone  of  her  words  made  her  lover  glance  anxiously 
at  her  face.  "  Why  won't  it  matter  to  me  ?  "  he  said.  "  I 
don't  wish  Nancy  to  stay  in  Cairo  either  before  or  after  her 
trip  up  the  Nile." 

"  If  she  stays  with  me  after  she  has  heard  all  about  our 
position  in  society  in  Cairo,  she  will  not  be  coming  as  my 
future  sister-in-law  ...  it  need  not  trouble  you." 

"  Stella,"  .  .  .  ernon  clasped  her  hands  in  his,  "  Stella, 
what  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  I  mean  just  what  I  told  you  last  night — that  if  my 
people  can't  be  yours,  yours  can't  be  mine." 

He  held  her  hands  more  tightly.  "  But  you  will  be 
mine  .  .  .  you  promised  you  would  ...  I  hold  you  to  it. 
.  .  .  Let's  be  quits  :  I  don't  care  if  you  accept  my  people 
or  reject  them — we  love  each  other,  that's  enough." 

She  tried  to  withdraw  her  hands  ;  her  face  was  white 
and  tense. 

"  You  don't  love  me  any  more,  you  are  tired  of  me  .  .  . 
you  make  this  an  excuse." 

Stella  dropped  her  eyes.  A  curious  revelation  had  come 
to  her  at  the  very  moment  that  he  was  telling  her  that  he 
would  hold  her  to  hia  promise — that  his  touch  had  ceased 
to  thrill  her,  that  not  once  during  the  whole  morning  while 
he  had  been  with  her  had  the  old  intoxicating  flame  of 
passion  rushed  through  her  veins  and  drugged  her  will- 
power. A  terrible  numbness  came  over  her,  she  could  not 
speak.  Vernon  instinctively  felt  some  lessening  of  his 
power  .  .  .  the  magnetic  current  had  broken  !  And  as 


124  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

he  felt  it  he  hungered  to  kisa  her  back  to  subjection  ;  his 
vanity  was  bruised  ;  he  looked  round  to  see  if  any  one  waa 
in  sight  before  pressing  his  lips  to  hers.  There  was  no  one 
in  sight ;  he  bent  forward  to  draw  her  to  him — he  must 
make  the  flame  ignite. 

"  You  are  mine,"  he  said,  "  do  you  hear  ? — mine  only, 
and  for  ever.  Stella,  say  you  love  me,  say  that  only  our 
love  matters  !  .  .  ." 

With  a  composure  she  hated  herself  for  feeling  she 
allowed  him  to  kiss  her  lips,  to  use  his  lover's  privileges  ; 
she  was  eager  to  feel  responsive,  for  as  yet  she  was  scarcely 
conscious  that  she  was  not. 

"  Say  you  love  me,"  he  said  ;  "  say  it,  darling  !  I  must 
hear  it  from  your  lips."  There  was  a  new  note  of  anxiety 
in  his  voice — the  lack  of  response  in  her  lips  had  awakened 
it ;  something  made  him  feel  less  sure  of  her :  it  made 
him  angry,  and  doubly  keen  to  subjugate  her  once  more.  .  .  . 
It  is  a  dangerous  moment  when  a  woman  finds  out  for  the 
first  time  that  the  man  she  has  blindly  adored  has  no  longer 
the  power  to  intoxicate  her  senses,  that  his  kisses  no  longer 
act  as  narcotics  .  .  . 

She  pushed  him  gently  away.  "  How  ever  much  I  love 
you,  it  doesn't  matter  if  you  feel  as  you  do  about  my  people  ; 
I  shouldn't  consider  my  promise  binding." 

"  I'm  awfully  fond  of  your  mother  and  father,  and  I'll 
pretend  I  love  even  Girgis  and  all  your  cousins,  rather 
than  give  you  up.  Will  that  please  you  !  " 

He  had  caught  her  hands  again,  and  imprisoned  them 
fiercely. 

'  What  about  Nancy  coming  !  " 

'  Let  her  come,"  he  said  hotly. 

'  Thank  you,  dear  ;  I  will  ask  her  ;  I'm  so  sorry." 

'  Sorry.     What  for  t  " 

'  That  Nancy  should  have  placed  you  in  this  awkward 
position." 

He  smiled.  "There,  darling,  I  knew  you  didn't  want 
her  to  come — it  was  only  your  pride." 

"  I  only  mean  that  I'm  sorry  for  you  because  you  mind  ; 
I  don't,  I'd  rather  she  knew  .  .  ."  she  paused.  ...  "I 
think  you're  doing  a  very  unwise  thing." 

"  In  what  way  ?  " 

"  In  persisting  in  continuing  our  engagement.  You'd 
much  better  take  your  liberty :  I'm  young  enough  to  re- 
cover from  the  shock."  She  smiled  sweetly,  to  soften  the 
bitterness  of  her  words. 

"Then  I  don't,"  he  said  ;  "  and  what's  more,  you've  got 
to  promise  that  you'll  never  again  mention  the  word  liberty 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  125 

or  breaking  off  with  me,  if  I  do  my  utmost  to  please  you 
in  regard  to  your  people.  Promise,"  he  said — he  held 
her  face  in  his  two  hands — "  promise  .  .  .  say  after  me, 
'  I,  Stella  Adair,  promise  to  marry  you,  Vernon  Thorpe, 
at  the  soonest  date  possible,  if  you  are  as  nice  as  you  can 
be  to  my  people.'  " 

Stella  looked  laughingly  into  his  eyes — they  were  very 
boyish  and  blue — but  as  she  looked  the  plain  face,  with 
its  strongly  marked  lines,  of  Michael  Ireton  rose  up  before 
her,  a  curious  coldness  numbed  her  heart,  a  touch  of  pity 
entered  into  her  feeling  for  Vernon  .  .  .  his  old  master- 
ship was  dead.  .  .  .  She  paused  and  then  said  slowly, 
"  I,  Hadassah  Lekejian — for  that  is  how  it  must  be — am 
willing  to  marry  you  :  the  old  engagement  with  Stella 
Adair  is  a  thing  of  the  past  ;  the  new  compact  must  be 
made  with  Hadassah  Lekejian,  the  Syrian  Hadassah 
Lekejian,  the  cousin  of  Girgis  Boutros." 

"  All  right,"  he  said,  "  so  be  it,  insert  Hadassah  Lekejian 
in  the  agreement  and  give  me  a  kiss  to  seal  it."  Some- 
thing of  love's  passion  stirred  Stella's  senses  as  he  renewed 
the  compact.  They  were  young,  and  the  peace  of  the 
African  desert  enveloped  them.  For  the  time  being 
her  soul  was  lulled  to  rest :  the  animal  content  of  the 
Bedouin  women,  in  their  trailing  black  garments,  who  kept 
ever  coming  and  going  across  the  yellow  sand,  seemed  very 
enviable,  while  the  stern  outline  of  the  pyramids,  sil- 
houetted against  the  turquoise  sky,  forced  their  "  terror 
of  age  "  upon  her,  and  showed  her  the  folly  of  her  own 
unrest. 

How  could  she  be  a  slave  to  doubts  and  fears  of  human 
passions  1  She  had  imagined  that  Vernon  would  be  the 
master  of  her  desires  for  ever,  that  her  great  battle  would 
always  be  to  free  herself  from  the  obsession  of  his  love,  to 
act  up  to  her  own  ideals,  and  not  blindly  obey  him  in  all 
things.  In  the  old  days  the  selfish  enjoyment  of  admin- 
istering to  his  selfishness  had  lowered  her  in  her  own  eyes. 
Now  the  bonds  of  love  were  loosening,  another  voice  had 
dropped  a  diviner  poison  in  her  ears.  A  new  and  awful 
desire  had  come  to  her,  to  test  her  power  over  the  stronger 
man's  heart,  to  make  the  man  who  was  "  the  master  of  his 
soul  and  the  captain  of  his  fate  "  love  her  madly  !  Was 
the  senusal  Levantine  blood  in  her  veins  asserting  its 
true  power  ?  The  idea  revolted  her.  She  was  angry  with 
herself  for  having  discovered  a  flaw  in  the  ideal  she  had 
created,  and  enshrined  in  the  outwardly  perfect  form  of 
Vernon  Thorpe.  At  that  moment  he  looked  an  ideal 
lover,  yet,  the  personality  of  Michael  Ireton  rose  before 
her  mental  vision.  She  closed  her  mind  upon  it  in  anger  ; 


126  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

she  had   not  wished   to  see  it,  she  had  used  no  effort  of 
memory  to  visualise  it. 

For  the  rest  of  their  morning  in  the  desert  Stella  was  a 
perfect  lover.  Her  sweetness  of  disposition  at  all  times 
made  her  a  delightful  companion,  and  tliis  morning  the 
voice  which  could  not  be  hushed  urged  her  to  do  her  utmost 
to  please  Vernon,  and  he  asked  for  nothing  more  than 
to  idle  in  the  golden  sunshine  by  her  side  while  he  smoked 
Egyptian  cigarettes  and  watched  the  simple  doings  of  the 
peasant  peoples.  They  talked  lazily  of  many  things ! 
of  Nancy's  coming,  of  their  proposed  visit  to  the  Fayyum 
to  see  Girgis's  farm,  and  of  the  possibility  of  their  marriage 
in  the  following  winter. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

A  WEEK,  of  horrible  anxiety  for  Stella  brought  forth  n« 
dreaded  results.  Mr.  Lekejian  had  returned  to  the  bosom 
of  his  family  unhurt,  Michael  Ireton  had  left  Asiut  for 
Abydos,  and  Nancy  had  arrived  and  taken  her  place  in 
the  Lekejian  household  as  simply  and  happily  as  though 
they  had  been  English  people  living  in  Mayfair. 

All  Stella's  dreaded  explanations  were  unnecessary. 
Nancy  simply  washed  her  hands  of  the  English  inhabitants 
of  Cairo — she  had  introductions  to  many  important  people  : 
she  refused  to  present  any  of  them.  Stella  had  not  the 
courage  to  tell  her  that  Vernon  had  asked  her  to  prevent 
his  sister  paying  them  a  visit  during  the  season,  and  Vernon 
himself  seemed  anxious  not  to  mention  the  fact — he  had 
been  led  into  one  private  talk  with  Nancy  upon  the  subject 
of  Stella's  relations,  in  which  Nancy  had  done  some  very 
plain  speaking.  Of  course  she  knew  nothing  at  all  about 
the  extremely  difficult  subject  of  mixed  races  in  the  East, 
and  in  her  loyalty  to  Stella  she  under-estimated  the  enor- 
mous advantage  it  is  to  the  young  Egyptians  in  Cairo  to 
have  the  example  of  healthy-minded,  sport -loving  English- 
men like  Vernon  Thorpe  in  their  midst — for,  with  all 
their  faults,  the  presence  of  the  young  Englishmen  in 
Egypt  is  a  healthy  influence  for  the  nation's  moral  regenera- 
tion. No  other  nation  could  give  them  a  better  example 
of  the  manly  characteristics  in  which  they  are  most  lacking 
themselves. 

Since  Nancy's  advent  in  Cairo,  Nicolas  had  become  a  boy 
again.  Her  high  spirits  and  inexhaustible  vitality  had 
shaken  him  out  of  himself  :  never  had  Stella  seen  him  BO 
light-hearted  or  happy.  He  had  thrown  off  the  gravity 
and  silence  which  had  become  habitual  to  him  since  hia 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  127 

life  had  been  spent  in  Cairo  ;  he  was  more  like  the  en- 
thusiastic and  gay  "  old  Nick  "  of  his  irresponsible  student 
days  in  Paris.  When  Nancy  saw  him  lapse  into  gravity 
and  melancholy,  she  chaffed  him  out  of  it  ;  and  as  she  had 
always  been  an  object  of  adoration  she  never  doubted  her 

Eowers  to  beget  affection,  and  she  was  not  mistaken.     Mr. 
ekejian  adored   her  :  when  she  was   in  his  presence   he 
beamed  on  her  with  tender,  approving  eyes,  and  when  she 
laughed  he  sighed.     Alas,  how  seldom  Stella's  voice  rang 
through  the  old  house  like  Nancy's  ! 

When  the  girls  sauntered  about  the  wonderful  garden 
arm  in  arm,  something  very  warm  and  gracious  flowed 
through  the  old  man's  veins  ;  they  were  both  so  lovely, 
both  so  dear  to  him,  for  Nancy  was  inexpressibly  dear 
to  him  because  of  her  loyalty  to  Stella  and  her  whole- 
hearted adoption  of  his  despised  race.  Also  he  had  found, 
in  this  little  girl  who  had  carried  all  the  way  from  Eng- 
land the  freshness  of  hedge-roses  in  her  cheeks  and  an 
English  child's  lightness  of  laughter  in  her  voice,  a  woman 
of  quick  and  resourceful  intuition  in  a  moment  of  need,  and 
splendidly  intelligent  about  the  graver  matters  of  life. 
On  his  return  from  Asiut  he  had  discovered  her  installed 
in  his  house  as  a  member  of  his  family,  playing  with  his  son 
in  a  way  which  showed  him  that  Nicolas  was  still  very 
impressionable  and  delightfully  young  in  spite  of  his  grave 
manner  ;  and  showering  affection  on  both  his  wife  and 
daughter. 

Towards  himself  Nancy  evinced  the  warmest  tokens  of 
friendship.  The  details  of  the  Asiut  disturbance  he  related 
to  her  word  for  word,  and  he  realised  that  she  seized  upon 
the  salient  facts  with  a  rapidity  and  sense  that  surprised 
even  the  quick  intelligence  of  the  Syrian.  And  Nancy 
was  surprised  to  find  what  a  staunch  upholder  of  the  English 
policy  in  the  East  Stella's  father  was.  Nothing  that  his 
family  had  suffered  through  the  narrow-mindedness  of 
social  circles  in  Cairo  had  budged  him  one  inch  from  his 
loyalty  to  what  he  considered  the  right  cause,  or  blinded 
him  to  the  fact  that  only  since  the  English  had  been  in 
Egypt  had  there  been  anything  resembling  prosperity  or 
peace  in  the  country. 

"  Things  are  bad  enough  as  they  are,"  he  told  Nancy, 
as  he  had  often  told  his  wife  and  daughter.  "  The  cess- 
pools of  Cairo  are  still  here,  but  they  are  like  lakes  of  pure 
water  compared  to  what  they  once  were.  I  am  old  enough 
to  remember  '  the  other  days,'  and  therefore  I  can  judge. 
In  my  young  days  you  could  not  walk  through  the  native 
town  without  stepping  into  mire  and  filth  which  often 
came  up  over  the  ankles." 


128  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

It  waa  a  strange  experience  for  Nancy,  to  find  herself  a 
member  of  a  household  whose  outlook  upon  many  familiar 
subjects  was  entirely  new  to  her.  She  had  been  thrust  into 
the  centre  of  a  life  palpitating  with  political  unrest,  she 
waa  seeing  Egypt  behind  the  veil  .  .  .  she  was  learning 
to  look  upon  her  own  race  as  not  altogether  unimpeach- 
able or  without  blemish. 

During  the  week  that  Nancy  was  in  Cairo  she  had  many 
novel  and  exciting  experiences.  The  second  evening  after 
her  arrival  she  went  with  the  Lekejians  and  her  brother  to 
see  a  Coptic  wedding,  and  the  night  after  to  see  a  Moham- 
medan one.  They  were  so  similar  in  character  that  she  would 
never  have  guessed  that  they  were  not  both  Mohammedan 
if  Stella  had  not  told  her.  Vernon  was  with  them  on  both 
occasions,  and  Nancy  was  amazed  to  see  how  little  real 
interest  he  took  in  the  extraordinary  ceremonies  and 
festivities.  He  did  not  even  think  them  picturesque, 
though  the  Mohammedan  marriage  waa  exceptionally 
splendid,  for  the  household  was  celebrating  a  double  event, 
the  safe  return  of  their  elder  son  from  Mecca  and  the 
marriage  of  their  younger  son  to  a  wealthy  carpet-merchant's 
daughter.  The  Lekejians  were  mere  onlookers,  like  any 
other  strangers,  but  through  their  intimate  knowledge  of 
Arabic  Nancy  waa  initiated  into  all  that  passed.  At  the 
Coptic  wedding  ahe  and  Stella  were  invited  to  go  upstairs 
to  the  women's  part  of  the  house  and  be  introduced  to 
the  bride,  a  shy,  dark-eyed  creature,  sitting  by  herself  in 
a  little  room  apart  from  the  crowd  with  her  husband's 
best  man.  Her  bridegroom  was  downstairs  helping  to 
entertain  his  guests,  according  to  customary  etiquette. 

Nancy  had  also  seen  the  return  of  a  Hadji  from  Mecca  .  .  . 
a  sight  she  waa  never  likely  to  forget,  for  its  amazing 
pictures  queness  and  mediaeval  magnificence.  To-night 
they  were  to  go  to  an  Arab  theatre  ;  the  famous  Arab 
tenor  Stella  had  ao  often  heard  discussed  by  her  brother 
and  his  musical  friends  was  to  sing  two  solos.  Vernon  was 
to  make  one  of  the  party.  When  all  the  family  were 
together  on  such  occasions  Nancy  could  not  help  noticing 
that  her  brother  invariably  found  a  place  next  to  Mrs. 
Lekejian,  if  he  was  not  with  Stella,  for  Mrs.  Lekejian  waa 
extremely  fond  of  him  and  often  fought  his  battles  when 
Nancy  attacked  her  brother  with  her  hot  tongue  and  ready 
wit.  Nancy  had  divined  that  Mrs.  Lekejian  waa  the  only 
one  of  the  party  who  understood  Vernon  or  whom  Vernon 
understood  ;  the  qualities  which  Stella  had  not  inherited 
from  her  mother  kept  a  veil  between  herself  and  her  lover 
which  could  never  be  lifted.  During  the  performance  at 
the  Arab  theatre  Stella  waa  more  than  usually  silent. 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  129 

Nancy  was  not  to  discover  the  reason  until  long  afterwards  : 
Stella  had  been  invited  that  same  afternoon  to  take  an 
active  part  on  the  working  committee  which  was  being 
organised  in  connection  with  the  new  Government  schools 
for  the  practical  education  of  native  girls  in  domestic 
subjects.  Her  mind  was  running  on  the  main  features  ol 
the  project,  and  they  were  keeping  her  preoccupied. 

The  Arab  play,  which  was  very  biblical  to  Nancy,  be- 
cause of  the  biblical  dress  of  the  actors,  who  were  all  men, 
and  their  solemn  mien,  as  they  sat  on  chairs  arranged  in  a 
half -moon  far  back  on  the  stage  and  declaimed  in  dignified 
tones,  was  not  interesting  enough  to  hold  Stella's  attention  ; 
and,  as  Nancy  did  not  understand  a  word  of  what  was  being 
said,  the  proceedings,  with  their  unvaried  monotony  of 
tone  and  gesture,  "  bored  her  to  tears,"  she  declared  to 
Nicolas. 

Suddenly,  the  drama  seemed  to  be  gaining  in  interest, 
for  there  were  moans,  and  groans,  and  curious  wi-human 
exclamations  of  emotion  coming  from  the  large  audience  of 
men  which  filled  the  body  of  the  theatre.  All  the  women 
were  out  of  sight  in  a  gallery,  behind  a  grille  like  a  nuns' 
gallery  in  a  Catholic  church.  The  wave  of  excitement 
was  followed  by  two  veiled  women  being  dragged  across 
the  stage  by  fresh  actors.  At  this  juncture  even  Stella 
evinced  a  little  interest,  and  tried  to  interpret  what  was 
happening  to  Nancy ;  but  the  particular  event  of  the 
evening  was  the  tenor,  who  came  forward  at  last  and  was 
welcomed  with  %sild  and  strange  tokens  of  enthusiasm. 
Nancy  and  Vernon  were  the  only  two  Europeans  in  thi 
house,  Mrs.  Lekejian  excepted. 

Just  before  the  tenor  commenced  singing  Nancy  noticed 
a  wave  of  colour  flood  Stella's  pale  skin,  and  a  look  of 
surprised  pleasure  light  up  her  tragic  eyes.  Nancy  did 
not  betray  that  she  had  noticed  Stella's  emotion,  but 
followed  her  gaze  across  the  house  to  the  level  of  the  stalls, 
and  in  so  doing  met  the  commanding  eyes  of  Michael  Ireton 
fixed  on  their  box.  She  wondered  who  he  was,  with  his  air 
of  distinction — a  distinction  of  individuality  and  strength. 
When  the  tenor  began,  Michael  Ireton  was  forgotten,  for 
never  before  had  Nancy  heard  anything  so  monstrously 
funny  or  so  unlike  her  idea  of  beautiful  singing.  To  her 
ignorant  ears  it  was  frightfully  ridiculous  ;  if  the  man  was 
singing  a  love-song,  she  thought  it  would  have  made  a  cat 
laugh.  Her  eyes  sought  Stella's  and  when  they  met  the 
two  girls  could  scarcely  conceal  their  amusement.  Vernon 
had  retired  to  the  back  of  the  box,  where  he  remained 
literally  doubled  up  with  quiet  laughter. 

But  the  Arab  men  in  the  body  of  the  house  were  moved 


130  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

and  enchanted.  When  he  quavered  and  trilled,  in  the 
strangest  of  falsetto  voices,  on  one  beat  of  a  note  for  a  longer 
time  than  usual,  they  called  out,  "  God  approve  thee, 
God  prosper  thy  voice  !  "  Nancy  thought  she  could  not 
endure  it  a  moment  longer  without  laugliing  outright,  yet 
the  natives  groaned  or  rocked  to  and  fro  with  delight.  In 
their  enjoyment  there  was  something  sensual  and  indelicate, 
and  the  grunts  of  satisfaction  they  gave  hurt  the  girl's 
innate  sense  of  decency.  She  was  glad  the  Lekejians'  box 
removed  them  from  the  level  of  the  crowd,  for  she  felt  that 
Bhe  would  not  like  to  meet  the  eyes  of  any  one  of  the  Arabs 
who  were  giving  such  curious  vent  to  their  appreciation. 
Stella  was  thankful  that  only  her  father  and  Nicolas  could 
understand  the  words  of  the  song,  for  they  were  just  bad 
enough  for  Orientals  to  make  their  meaning  much  worse  in 
their  imaginings.  When  the  song  was  ended,  and  the 
Arabs  had  grunted  and  sighed  out  their  tokens  of  approval 
and  had  showered  roses  and  jasmine  flowers  at  the  singer, 
Michael  Ireton  appeared  in  their  box.  From  the  first 
moment  when  he  shook  hands  with  Stella  and  said  his 
formal  "  How  do  you  do  1  "  to  Vernon,  Nancy  knew  that 
the  big,  dominating  man  loved  her  brother's  fiancee,  and 
as  a  brother  is  never  a  very  romantic  personality  to  a 
sister  she  wondered  why  Stella  preferred  Vernon  to  this 
rather  mysterious  being  who  reminded  her  of  all  that  she 
had  heard  about  Cecil  Rhodes. 

To-night  Vernon  looked  delightfully  well  bred  and 
physically  fit,  and  almost  as  fair  as  Nancy  herself.  In  this 
land  of  dark-eyed,  almond -skinned  peoples,  he  seemed 
strikingly  clean  and  blue-eyed.  Michael  Ireton's  eyes  were 
unremarkable  in  size  or  colour,  it  was  their  sincerity  and 
melancholy  that  made  them  the  pleasant  feature  of  his 
rather  massive  face.  There  was  nothing  little  about 
Ireton,  and  curiously  enough,  one  of  Nancy's  first  thoughts 
about  him  was  what  Stella's  had  often  been  :  "  What  a 
rock  of  defence  round  any  woman  his  arms  would  be, 
what  rest  for  any  woman  to  find  herself  lost  in  their 
strength  !  "  Nancy  scarcely  spoke  to  him,  and  when  the 
party  left  their  box  to  walk  up  and  down  the  ugly  little 
corridor  outside,  during  the  second  and  last  act,  she  noticed 
how  anxious  he  was  to  speak  to  Stella  alone.  For  some 
feminine  reason  she  helped  him  to  achieve  his  object. 

"  You  are  not  looking  well,"  he  said  to  Stella,  after  her 
slight  embarrassment  at  meeting  him  had  subsided ; 
"  have  things  been  troubling  you  over  much  since  I  saw 
you  last  t  "  He  looked  at  her  earnestly  and  spoke  very 
guardedly :  in  his  bearing  towards  her  there  was  more 
emotion  than  in  his  words,  and  Stella  felt  it. 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  131 

"  No,  oh  no  !  "  she  said  quickly,  "  things  have  been 
better.  .  .  .  Nancy  is  such  a  dear,  I  love  having  her." 

"  I'm  BO  glad,  little  girl,"  he  said  tenderly,  "  for  I'm 
going  away,  and  it  will  make  things  easier  for  me  to  know 
that  you  have  got  her  with  you  .  .  .  that  .  .  ."  He  did 
not  finish,  for  Stella's  cry  of  "  Going  away  ?  "  startled  him  : 
her  words  merely  repeated  his  own,  but  there  was  a  world 
of  meaning  in  them. 

"  Yes,  going  away,"  he  said,  "  for  I  find  myself  defeated, 
utterly  routed.  I  can't  be  only  your  friend,  Hadassah.  .  .  . 
I  knew  it  when  I  saw  you  to-night  ;  it's  no  use  pretending." 

A  sudden  desire  to  free  herself  from  Vernon  over- 
whelmed her  .  .  .  she  longed  for  nothing  so  much  as  to 
tell  Michael  Ireton  to  stay— to  stay  and  pretend  no 
longer.  She  could  scarcely  get  breath  enough  to  speak  .  .  . 
Ireton  thought  he  had  hurt  her. 

"  I  know  I  promised,"  he  said,  "  never  to  speak  of  this 
again  :  I'm  a  selfish  beast,  but  .  .  ."  he  paused,  "  well,  I 
only  wanted  to  explain  why  I  am  going  away  for  ever  with- 
out seeing  you  any  more  ;  I  was  pretending  it  was  for 
your  sake,  but  it  is  pure  selfishness  .  .  .  forgive  me  !  " 

Stella  held  out  a  trembling  hand.  "  Don't  go,  please 
don't  go  ...  I  want  you  to  stay  .  .  ."  there  was  some- 
thing in  her  voice  that  made  him  turn  with  a  sudden  direct- 
ness and  look  at  her  ...  he  had  been  avoiding  her  eyes, 
not  even  glancing  at  her  pale  face  while  he  spoke. 

"  I  am  not  to  go  ...  you  ask  me  to  stay  1  "  He  seemed 
to  tower  over  her  in  a  way  which  made  her  feel  very  help- 
less and  captured.  "  You  can  only  mean  one  thing  in 
saying  that  .  .  .  do  you  mean  it,  Haddassah  ?  .  .  .  canyon 
mean  it  I  "  He  seized  her  hands  and  crushed  them  in  his 
until  the  pain  almost  made  her  cry  out — they  were  alone 
in  a  part  of  the  passage  which  was  unfrequented.  She  did 
not  answer,  so  he  repeated,  "  Is  it  true  !  Why  do  you  ask 
me  to  stay  t  " 

She  tried  to  free  herself  and  said,  "  Go — oh  go,  go  !  You 
must  think  I  am  mad." 

But  he  held  her  fast.  "  You  are  not  mad,"  he  said  ; 
"  but  the  maddest  thing  you  can  do  is  to  marry  a  man 
you  don't  any  longer  love  ...  it  is  wronging  Mm  as  well 
as  yourself  .  .  .  Don't  send  we  away  if  you  care  for  me  ! 
Things  will  come  right." 

The  suggestion  from  his  lips  that  she  no  longer  loved 
Vernon  horrified  her  :  of  course  she  loved  him,  if  she  loved 
any  one  on  earth.  She  tried  to  tell  him  so,  but  her 
lame  protests  were  stopped,  for  there  was  a  commotion 
and  cries  of  alarm  :  Stella  heard  words  which  blanched 
her  cheeks  and  made  her  fly  from  Michael  Ireton's  side 


132  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

to  the  entrance  of  their  box,  where  a  crowd  had  gathered, 
When  she  reached  the  door,  Nicolas  sprang  to  her  side, 
and  put  his  arm  round  her :  "  Come  with  me,  Stella,"  he 
said  tenderly ;  "  Vernon  has  been  wounded :  he  saved 
father's  life  a  moment  ago  down  in  the  buffet."  It  seemed 
as  if  Stella  herself  had  been  suddenly  stabbed,  for  she 
almost  sank  to  the  ground.  Nicolas  whispered  to  her, 
"  Be  brave,  dear  ;  he  is  not  dangerously  hurt." 

"  And  father,  is  he  safe  T  Where  is  Vernon  t  Take  me 
to  him."  With  a  splendid  effort  she  straightened  herself 
and  said,  "  I  am  all  right ;  I  will  be  perfectly  calm." 

"  Father  wasn't  touched,  and  Vernon's  not  badly  hurt." 

"  Where  is  he  f     You  must  let  me  go  to  him." 

A  feeling  of  shame  for  her  disloyalty  to  Vernon 
flooded  her  being.  "  Take  me  to  him,  Nicolas,"  she 
said  most  pleadingly  ;  "  he  will  be  expecting  me."  She 
longed  to  abase  herself  before  Vernon  to  atone  for  her  guilt. 

"  You  can't  see  him  to-night,  dearest ;  he's  gone  to  the 
hospital.  Fortunately  Dr.  Mason  was  in  the  house,  just 
outside  the  buffet ;  he  carried  him  off  at  once  in  a  cab  ; 
he'll  be  all  right  when  the  bleeding's  stopped." 

Stella  collapsed  on  the  seat  nearest  the  door  in  their 
box.  Nancy  flew  to  her,  pale  and  trembling  but  calm  ; 
her  young  arms  closed  tenderly  round  the  shattered  girl. 
"  He'll  be  all  right,  darling,  in  no  time  ...  it  is  nothing 
serious,  it  really  isn't,"  she  appealed  touchingly  to  Nicolas. 
"  The  doctor  said  it  wasn't,  didn't  he  !  "  She  looked 
again  to  Nicolas  to  back  her  words,  for  Mrs.  Lekejian 
had  gone  home  with  her  husband. 

Stella  made  a  great  effort  to  regain  her  self-control. 
"  How  did  it  happen  f  "  she  said.  "  Have  they  caught 
the  murderer  t  Oh,  these  wretches,  how  merciless  they 
are!" 

"  Yes,  they  got  him — he's  in  safe  keeping  now.  To  do 
him  justice,  he  didn't  make  any  attempt  to  escape  ;  he's 
one  of  the  Al-Lewa  crowd,  and  considers  that  the  part 
father  has  played  in  exposing  the  corruption  of  the  native 
courts  has  proved  conclusively  that  he  is  a  traitor 
to  Egypt's  freedom,  it  fired  a  wretched  youth,  an  in- 
dependent Nationalist,  to  attempt  his  murder  ;  he  con- 
siders father's  work  in  the  whole  affair  was  '  anti-Egyptian.' 
Poor  youth — he's  simply  been  inflamed  to  madness  by 
the  Al-Lewa  party.  Anyhow  he's  risked  his  own  neck 
for  the  sake  of  what  he  considers  his  country's  good. 
Vernon  behaved  splendidly :  father  undoubtedly  would 
have  been  killed  if  he  hadn't  sprung  at  the  wretch  and 
spoilt  his  aim." 

"  Oh,"   Stella  said,   with  a  pitiful   cry,    ' '  the    wicked 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  131 

murderers  !  How  I  hate  them  all !  How  I  hate  myself  ! 
Take  me  home— let's  go  home,  Nancy."  She  said  the 
last  words  insistently.  As  she  saw  Michael  Ireton's  tall 
figure  enter  their  box,  she  clung  feverishly  to  Nicolas. 
"  Where  is  he  wounded  ?  Poor  Vernon  ...  is  he  con- 
acious  ?  .  .  .  are  you  keeping  anything  back  1  ...  Tell 
me  the  truth,  I  prefer  it.  .  .  ." 

Nicolas  drew  her  away  while  he  asked  Ireton  to  look 
after  Nancy,  to  whom  the  whole  thing  was  bewilderingly 
and  horrifying  ;  truly  the  lust  and  passion  of  the  East 
was  being  revealed  to  her  hour  by  hour.  She  could  not 
but  feel  very  proud  of  Vernon,  and  somehow  just  a  little 
glad  that  he  had  been  given  an  opportunity  of  proving 
to  Stella  the  sound  metal  he  was  made  of.  Knowing  his 
excellent  constitution,  she  felt  confident  of  his  quick 
recovery  ...  in  a  day  or  two  he  would  be  playing  polo 
again  just  as  he  so  often  had  done  after  accidents  which 
had  alarmed  all  onlookers  at  the  game.  Nicolas  had 
described  to  her  how  Vernon  had  seen  the  man's  revolver 
pointed  at  his  father,  and  without  pausing  for  one  second 
had  thrown  his  glass  of  lemon  squash  in  the  man's  eyes, 
with  the  result  that  the  weapon  was  turned  on  himself 
as  the  man's  arm  swung  round. 

Any  snobbishness  she  had  accused  him  of  in  Cairo  was 
entirely  wiped  out :  he  was  wholly  reinstated  in  Nancy's 
good  books  again. 

As  Michael  Ireton  said  good-night  to  her  in  the  Arab 
courtyard  of  the  Lekejians'  house,  he  said  :  "  This  is  the 
first  time  we  have  met,  but  there  is  a  great  bond  of  sym- 
pathy between  us.  We  are  both  Stella's  devoted  friends, 
I  am  going  away,  and  I  will  not  see  her  again  for  a  long 
time.  I  am  very  thankful  to  know  that  you  are  with  her 
.  .  .  her  life  is  very  difficult  here,  she  has  told  me  that 
you  make  all  the  difference  in  the  world." 

"  I  do  nothing,"  Nancy  said  ardently.  "  What  can 
any  one  do  ?  I  only  love  her  and  .  .  ."  She  paused. 

He  quickly  interrupted  her.  "  That  is  how  you  help 
her,"  he  said  :  "  you  love  her,  she  needs  love — abundant 
love  and  understanding.  You  will  not  grudge  her  either  f  " 

As  he  finished  speaking  he  raised  the  girl's  small  hands 
to  his  lips.  "  Good-bye,"  he  said  gravely,  "  and  God 
bless  you  :  I  may  never  see  you  again." 

"  Good-bye,"  Nancy  said.  With  girlish  simplicity  she 
added,  "  I  wish  you  weren't  going  away  :  I  think  in  Egypt 
it  would  be  nice  to  have  a  big  friend  like  you." 


(  134  ) 


CHAPTER  XX 

VERNON'S  recovery  was  not  such  an  easy  and  speedy  one 
as  Nancy  had  predicted.  The  wound  healed  satisfactorily, 
but  his  temperature  had  a  nasty  habit  of  rising  and  falling, 
in  the  way  that  temperatures  do  rise  and  fall  in  the  East, 
even  with  the  healthiest  patients.  When  Stella  saw  him 
for  the  first  time  after  the  accident  he  made  so  little  ol 
what  he  had  done  that  she  could  have  knelt  at  his  bedside 
in  humility,  but  whenever  she  attempted  to  thank  him  ol 
to  praise  him  for  his  splendid  nerve  he  would  say,  "  Oh 
chuck  it,  old  girl !  There  isn't  the  greatest  rotter  living 
who  wouldn't  have  done  the  same  thing  as  I  did." 

Until  her  brother  was  in  a  more  safely  convalescent  stage 
Nancy  refused  to  go  up  the  Nile  or  leave  Cairo,  so  the 
Little  Johns  had  to  go  without  her  ;  after  all  she  didn't 
care  very  much,  for  it  would  have  meant  leaving  Stella 
and  losing  touch  with  the  thrilling  life  she  was  living. 
Was  she  not  almost  taking  part  in  the  making  of  Egyptian 
history  1  That  the  East  was  not  her  home,  made  every- 
thing that  belonged  to  it  absorbingly  fascinating.  What 
revolted  Stella  and  made  her  heart-sick  often  thrilled 
Nancy :  it  was  all  a  part  of  the  mystery  and  spell  of  the 
East,  even  when  it  was  horrible. 

When  Vernon  was  well  enough  to  be  moved  he  was 
ordered  off  to  a  sanatorium  at  Helouan,  and  it  was  during 
his  convalescence  there  that  Stella  begged  her  mother 
to  take  Nancy  and  herself  for  a  short  visit  to  Medinat-al 
Fayyum.  Instead  of  staying  in  the  town  itself,  with 
Girgis  Boutros  and  his  aunt  and  cousin  in  their  white  villa, 
with  its  green  jalousies,  on  the  bank  of  the  Bahr  Yusuf, 
they  induced  Girgis  to  make  arrangements  for  them  to 
Bleep  in  the  sportsman's  hotel  or  rest-house,  built  on  piles 
over  the  historical  Lake  Moeris,  which  lies  out  in  the 
desert  some  miles  from  Medinat-al  Fayyum. 

It  was  a  roasting  hot  afternoon  when  Girgis,  attired  in 
the  most  perfect  riding  kit  of  English  build,  met  them  at 
the  station.  Nancy,  who  had  only  seen  him  once,  in 
correct  calling  attire  in  Cairo  (his  mother  had  a  fine  houso 
there  and  was  very  particular  about  her  son's  social 
etiquette),  was  not  prepared  for  his  appearance  in  im- 
maculate brown  riding-boots,  the  latest  thing  in  riding 
coats  and  breeches,  surmounted  with  the  inevitable  scarlet 
tarltush.  It  made  an  odd  combination,  but  the  costume 
•uited  him  perfectly  and  he  knew  how  to  wear  it.  He 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  135 

told  them  that  he  wished  to  take  them  to  his  aunt's  house 
in  the  town — he  lived  with  his  aunt— to  have  tea  before 
escorting  them  to  Lake  Moeris.  Feeling  very  tired  and 
hot,  they  gladly  consented  to  do  as  he  had  arranged. 
When  his  three  visitofs  were  seated  in  a  luxuriously  ap- 
pointed, but  strangely  old-fashioned,  landau,  Girgis 
mounted  his  Arab  mare.  Nancy  thought  it  the  most 
beautiful  beast  she  had  ever  seen  as  it  all  but  danced  at 
their  side  :  its  curved  neck,  its  long,  flowing  tail,  its  delight 
in  its  own  beauty,  kept  her  in  a  constant  state  of  accla- 
mation. Girgis,  who  knew  that  he  set  off  the  Arab's 
beauty  to  its  greatest  advantage,  did  not  betray  by  even 
a  smile  that  he  was  in  the  seventh  heaven  of  delight. 
Stella  he  still  worshipped,  she  was  his  divinity,  he  hungered 
to  own  her,  to  make  her  his  wife — but  this  flower -like  girl 
appealed  to  his  imagination  like  a  garden  where  exotic 
flowers  wafted  their  fragrance  to  him  over  cool  waters. 
Her  fair  throat  and  delicate  face,  her  laughing  eyes  of 
lapis-blue,  could  make  him  forget  that  her  people,  her 
own  brother  belonged  to  the  hated  race  who  despised 
him.  From  the  moment  when  she  placed  her  soft-palmed 
hand  in  his  he  had  succumbed  :  her  fragrant  personality 
had  lifted  him  into  realms  of  Oriental  delight. 

As  they  drove  from  the  station  and  passed  from  a  hideous 
bareness,  mingled  with  dust  and  flies  and  Eastern  smells, 
to  the  cool  river  banks,  bordered  with  spreading  willows 
and  swaying  tamarisks,  Nancy's  quick  eye  and  intuitive 
brain  taught  her  more  than  years  of  explanation  could 
have  done.  She  already  knew  that  in  the  East,  where 
strong  contrasts  are  for  ever  forcing  themselves  upon  you, 
you  need  never  be  surprised  at  anything  :  Girgis's  tarbusk, 
worn  with  English  riding-boots  and  tweed  clothes,  were 
illustrative  of  the  fact.  So  when  they  stopped  in  front 
of  an  imposing  villa,  which  seemed  to  her  very  French 
and  un- Eastern  with  its  white  walls  and  green  jalousies, 
she  was  not  astonished  when  the  door  was  opened  by  a  boy 
of  seven  years  of  age  who  looked  like  an  unfeathered 
starling  which  had  not  yet  digested  its  early  meal  of  worms 

Girgis  hurried  them  into  a  sitting-room  on  the  ground 
floor.  It  was  the  most  uninteresting,  uninviting  room 
Nancy  had  ever  been  in.  Photographs  in  silver-wire 
frames,  tied  up  with  bright  yellow  ribbons,  were  con 
spicuous  on  every  article  of  furniture  whiclu 'ould  hold  a 
picture  frame ;  heavy  albums,  bound  in  plush,  lay  on 
oval-shaped  maplewood  tables.  A  set  of  stiff  gold  chairs 
too  uncomfortable  to  sit  upon,  were  planted  in  a  row  round 
the  walls  ;  the  cool  view  of  the  flowing  Bahr  Yusuf  was 
entirely  hidden  by  stiff  Nottingham -lace  curtains.  Girgie 


136  A  WIFE  OUT  OP  EGYPT 

knew  that  the  room  was  hideous,  but  neither  of  the  girls 
knew  that  he  did.  He  also  knew  that  his  aunt  would 
appear  in  a  few  minutes  in  an  appalling  tea-gown  of  purple 
flannelette,  but  he  might  have  thought  it  a  creation  of 
Worth's  for  all  the  girls  could  guess  by  his  expression 
when  she  entered  the  room.  He  knew  that  the  whole 
business  of  afternoon  tea  would  shock  Stella,  but  he  was 
not  ashamed  :  they  were  his  relations  and  her  near  con- 
nections ;  Stella's  neck  must  be  bent ! 

When  at  last  his  aunt  came  awkwardly  into  the  room, 
followed  by  her  heavy -featured  daughter,  Stella  could 
scarcely  believe  they  were  people  of  the  same  rank  in  life 
as  Girgis,  for  Mrs.  Ha  Boutros  seemed  to  Stella  more  like  a 
second-rate  Italian  inn-keeper's  wife  than  an  Egyptian  ; 
but  her  voice  was  soft  and  her  clear  pronunciation  of 
English  was  refined.  Mrs.  Lekejian,  who  had  only  seen 
her  once  before,  many  years  ago,  greeted  her  with  a  charm- 
ing air  of  family  relationship — she  had  heard  many  things 
from  Girgis  about  his  aunt  which  had  made  her  respect 
and  like  her  very  much.  But  Mrs.  Boutros  was  very  shy, 
and  this  made  conversation  extremely  difficult.  Her 
daughter,  who  was  too  shy  to  speak,  sat  on  the  edge  of 
her  gilt  chair  close  to  Nancy  and  looked  at  her  with  the 
surprised  eyes  of  a  cow.  Nancy  did  not  know  what  to 
speak  to  her  about  .  .  .  Anything  like  intimacy  was 
hopeless,  for  the  girl  simply  answered  "  yes  "  and  "no  " 
to  her  remarks  about  Al  Fayyum.  Topics  soon  became 
exhausted.  Girgis,  realising  Nancy's  difficulty,  asked  if 
tea  was  coming  ;  it  arrived  just  as  he  spoke. 

A  huge  silver  tea-tray  was  carried  round  the  room  to 
each  person  by  a  trembling  Coptic  maid -servant,  whose 
complexion  and  features  were  so  beautiful  that  Nancy  could 
scarcely  resist  speaking  about  her.  She  wore  a  native 
dress  of  clinging  black,  with  her  hair  modestly  hidden  under 
a  bright  blue  handkerchief.  Nancy  wondered  why  her 
mistress  could  not  see  how  sweet  she  looked  compared  to 
her  own  daughter  ;  Girgis  must,  she  felt  sure,  for  he  had 
perfect  taste  in  his  own  details  of  dress.  After  the  maid 
had  handed  round  the  tea,  which  was  cold  and  weak, 
Miss  Boutros  rose  from  her  chair  awkwardly  and  offered  her 
guests  some  of  Huntley  and  Palmer's  mixed  biscuits, 
piled  up  in  a  little  wire  basket  decorated  with  bright 
yellow  ribbon.  '  Stella  and  Nancy  dared  not  let  their  eyes 
meet.  In  a  land  where  old  dishes  of  exquisite  colours 
and  shapes  are  to  be  bought  for  a  few  pence  it  seemed  a 
dreadful  perversion  of  taste  to  be  drinking  tea  out  of  vile 
Japanese  cups  and  eating  biscuits  off  twisted-wire  baskets. 

When  the  tea,  a  dreadful  concoction  made  with  unboiled 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  1ST 

water,  was  drunk,  and  a  few  more  platitudes  had  been 
exchanged,  Stella  said  she  thought  the./  ought  to  be  getting 
on  their  way,  as  her  mother  was  very  tired.  Their  hostess, 
obviously  relieved  that  their  visit  was  at  an  end,  did  not 
attempt  to  detain  them,  though  she  was  delighted  Girgis 
had  brought  them,  and  she  felt  proud  that  such  a  beautiful 
girl  as  Stella  was  her  own  nephew's  first  cousin.  She  was 
longing  to  discuss  every  point  of  their  looks  and  dress 
with  her  daughter,  who,  poor  thing,  was  not  so  well  satis- 
fied with  her  best  clothes  as  she  had  been  before  their 
arrival.  With  a  jealous  woman's  double-sight  she  had 
seen  that  Girgis  was  in  love  with  Stella  and  that  he  was 
enthralled  with  Nancy's  beauty,  though  Nancy's  fairness 
was  to  her  too  strange  to  be  beautiful.  She  had  heard 
of  fair  Western  women  in  romances,  but  she  had  never 
imagined  that  a  living  woman  could  look  so  unreal  as  the 
English  girl  seemed  in  her  Eastern  eyes. 

When  they  were  once  more  comfortably  seated  in  the 
carriage,  Nancy  gave  a  sigh  of  relief.  She  did  not  like  to  be 
the  first  to  say  anything,  because,  after  all,  these  people 
were  near  connections  of  Stella's  and  first  cousins  of 
Girgis  ;  but  when  he  was  out  of  hearing,  which  was  very 
soon,  for  his  Arab  mare  could  not  be  induced  to  go  at  their 
driving  pace,  Mrs.  Lekejian  said  to  Stella,  "  What  a  pity  ! 
Why  can't  they  be  contented  to  live  in  the  old  style  1 
I  wonder  Girgis  doesn't  see  it." 

"  I'm  sure  he  does,  mother,"  Stella  said  ;  "  but  be  thinks 
that  living  in  the  European  style  is  a  step  towards  progress 
and  regeneration,  and  you  know  how  keen  he  is  about  all 
that  sort  of  thing.  It  certainly  gives  the  women  something 
to  do,  for  there's  more  to  look  after,  with  lace  curtains 
and  carpets  and  all  those  hideous  ornaments  about."  She 
laughed  at  the  memory  of  their  visit,  but  it  was  a  kindly 
laugh. 

"  How  would  they  live  if  it  was  in  the  native  way  !  " 
Nancy  asked.  "  Not  like  harem  women,  doing  absolutely 
nothing  f  " 

"  Oh,  no,  but  quite  differently,"  Mrs.  Lekejian  said. 
"  The  old  native  houses  were  lovely." 

"  Had  the  Copts  fine  houses  like  the  Arabs  !  "  Nancy 
asked. 

"  Well,  no,  they  hadn't  " — she  paused — "  for  in  the  old 
days,  when  these  splendid  houses  were  built,  the  Christians 
were  too  poor — they  were  never  allowed  to  have  any  money  ; 
but  now  why  can't  they  build  their  grand  new  houses  in 
the  old  way,  and  live  in  them  in  the  old  style  f  They  would 
feel  at  home  in  them  and  look  much  less  absurd.  That 
poor  girl !  .  .  ."  she  sighed. 
E 


138  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

Nancy  had  seen  some  of  the  glorious  old  Arab  houses  in 
Cairo,  hidden  away  in  unexpected  quarters,  but  she  had 
associated  their  beauty  with  the  fact  that  they  were  Moham- 
medan buildings ;  she  did  not  know  that  in  most  respects 
the  Copts  in  the  old  days  lived  like  their  Moslem  neighbours 
and  would  have  had  houses  similar  to  theirs  if  they  had  had 
the  money  to  buy  them  .  .  .  she  did  not  understand  that 
their  wealth  was  a  thing  of  later  growth.that.like  all  despised 
races,  they  had  made  their  money  by  usury  and  diligent 
hoarding. 

Nancy  thought  for  a  moment  and  then,  turning  to  Stella, 
she  said  :  "  I  did  think  Girgis  was  sweet  to  them,  didn't 
you  t  He  was  so  well  bred,  so  dignified.  I'm  sure  I 
should  have  been  a  snob  and  done  my  best  to  show  visitors 
that  I  knew  how  awful  they  were." 

Stella  looked  pleased,  and  so  did  her  mother.  "  Girgia 
is  quite  extraordinary,"  they  both  said  ;  "  one  never  knows 
what  he  feels.  With  all  his  revolutionary  ideas  he's  a 
true  philosopher." 

"  Oh,"  Nancy  said,  "  I'm  sure  he  is  awfully  sensitive  ; 
but  it  was  his  loyalty  to  his  people." 

The  Arab  mare  pranced  up  to  them  at  that  moment. 
Girgis  managed  to  keep  her  within  speaking  distance  ;  he 
looked  very  happy.  He  addressed  Stella :  "  My  aunt 
was  greatly  pleased  to  see  you.  She  asked  me  to  thank 
you  for  honouring  her."  (Girgis  very  seldom  now  said 

If  you  please,"  Stella  had  chaffed  him  out  of  it.)  "  She 
thinks  you  are  very  beautiful  and  high-minded." 

"  Oh,  you  mustn't  make  me  vain  !  It  was  your  aunt 
who  deserved  our  thanks." 

"  Excuse  me,  but  I  could  not  make  you  vain." 

Stella  laughed.  "  Why  not  t  "  she  said.  "  I  am  only 
human." 

"  Because  what  I  think  and  what  my  cousins  think  could 
not  make  you  vain,  and  you  know  it  ;  and  I  thank  you  also 
for  coming,"  he  bowed  to  Nancy.  "  It  was  not  gay  for 
you.  I  am  sorry." 

"  Oh,  but  I  enjoyed  my  visit,"  she  said  ;  "  I  wish  we 
could  have  stayed  longer.  Your  cousin  must  know  such  a 
lot  of  things  that  would  interest  us.  I  wanted  to  make 
friends  and  talk  with  her  about  all  sorts  of  things." 

"  They  have  been  very  curious  to  see  my  cousin  Hadassah, 
now  they  are  satisfied.  For  many  days  they  will  talk  about 
your  visit."  His  un-mirthful  Egyptian  smile  broke  the 
severity  of  his  features.  "  My  cousin  has  only  seen  painted 
pictures  of  virgins  like  you  " — he  looked  at  Nancy  ;  "  she 
did  not  understand  that  in  a  country  where  there  is  much 
moisture  the  women  £row  up  like  flowers  ;  they  are  aa 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  139 

sweet  to  the  nostrils  as  almond  blossom  in  spring.  And  so 
you  must  excuse  her  ;  I  saw  her  look  very  much." 

"  You  say  these  things  so  prettily  that  even  when  I  know 
you  don't  mean  them  I  enjoy  hearing  them,"  Nancy 
Buid  gaily.  Her  laughter  was  so  infectious  and  mirthful 
that  it  inflamed  his  quick  blood.  His  mare  responded  to 
his  mood  :  her  nostrils  distended,  her  tail  curved,  she 
danced  with  the  pride  of  life.  .  .  . 

"  But  I  speak  the  truth,  if  you  please  " — his  eyes  met 
Stella's  as  his  old  habit  of  speech  slipped  out — "  you  carry 
the  sweetness  of  white  night-flowers  into  the  unwatered 
desert." 

Nancy  seeing  that  he  was  serious,  smiled  her  thanks. 

"  You  think,  do  you  not,  that  my  cousin  Hadassah 
is  very  beautiful  ?  "  Nancy  nodded  her  head.  "  And 
Hadassah  told  me  that  you  wore  like  an  English  rose.  Why 
is  it  then  not  true  if  I  say  you  are  both  beautiful  to  me  f  " 

Mrs.  Lekejian  and  Stella  joined  in  Nancy's  laughter,  for 
Girgis  had  certainly  gained  his  point. 

They  had  left  far  behind  them  the  precincts  of  the  oasis 
city,  with  its  dull  bazaars  full  of  cheap  European  goods, 
and  its  streets  with  fine  European  villas,  built  out  of  the 
wealth  which  has  belonged  to  the  people  of  Al  Fayyum 
ever  since  the  day  when  Joseph,  the  controller  of  Pharaoh's 
household,  bestowed  upon  the  surrounding  country  the 
network  of  canals  and  reservoirs  which  have  made  the 
Fayyum  famous  as  an  agricultural  centre  for  all  Egypt. 

In  the  desert  the  dazzling  heat  was  moving  like  a  wave 
over  the  country  ;  the  long,  dusty  road  was  black  with 
market  people  coming  towards  them  on  camels,  on  donkeys, 
and  on  foot  ;  the  heavy  necklaces  and  anklets  of  the  women 
showed  the  wealth  of  the  country  and  caught  the  sunlight 
as  they  walked.  It  was  all  intensely  Eastern,  and,  as 
Nancy  remarked,  the  "  limit  "  was  reached  when  a  por- 
cupine instead  of  a  rabbit  scurried  across  their  path  into 
the  dust  of  the  desert. 

As  the  hours  passed,  and  there  was  little  to  break  the 
monotony  of  the  endless  processions  of  blackrobed  women, 
and  the  long  string  of  camels  walking  as  though  they  were 
all  one  beast,  at  the  same  pace,  with  the  same  movements, 
and  the  same  lofty  indifference,  they  were  not  sorry  to 
arrive  at  the  little  hotel  which  has  been  built  for  sportsmen 
on  piles  over  the  lake.  They  had  to  climb  an  outside  stair 
like  a  ladder  to  reach  the  front  door.  A  cry  of  delight 
burst  from  Nancy's  lips  as  she  saw  the  cool  interior  where 
they  were  to  dine  :  the  canvas  walls  were  hung  with  the 
usual  Egyptian  decorations, the  animal  gods  of  the  ancients, 
and  gay  texts  from  the  Koran,  cut  out  in  brilliant  shades  of 


140  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

yellows  and  greens  and  blues,  and  stitched  on  to  red  cotton. 
At  intervals  there  were  openings  in  the  walls  to  admit  the 
cool  breeze  from  the  lake  and  show  inviting  glimpses  of 
softly  moving  tamarisks  and  low-flying  water-birds.  The 
dinner-table  was  decorated  with  crimson  roses  which  Stella 
knew  her  cousin  Girgis  must  have  ordered  the  day  before 
from  Al  Fayyum,  and  comfortable  couches  ran  ail  round  the 
room,  which  was  long  and  narrow,  and  not  unlike  the  cabin 
of  a  ship.  The  glimpses  of  the  lake  which  surrounded 
it  on  all  sides  added  to  the  impression  and  delighted  each 
one  of  the  party  as  they  sank  gratefully  on  to  the  divans. 

Hadassah  sat  next  to  her  cousin  ;  in  a  low  voice  she  said 
to  him,  "  Girgis,  dear,  you  are  so  kind."  She  laid  her 
hand  lightly  on  his  arm,  but  she  felt  him  tremble  under 
her  touch,  and  quickly  removed  it.  "  We  are  enjoying 
ourselves  so  much,  and  I  understand  the  trouble  you  have 
taken.  All  this  is  perfectly  delightful." 

"  But  you  are  not  happy,"  he  said.  All  her  attempts  to 
appear  gay  had  not  deceived  him. 

"  I  have  been  anxious  about  father  and  Vernon,"  she 
said  ;  "  the  change  here  will  do  me  good."  She  turned  her 
eyes  away,  his  unnerved  her. 

"  You  are  unhappy,"  he  repeated. 

Mrs.  Lekejian  and  Nancy  had  put  their  heads  outside, 
the  canvas  opening ;  they  could  not  hear  what  Stella  said. 
"  Why  do  you  say  it  ?  "  she  said  ;  "  I  wish  you  wouldn't  " 
— but  she  had  not  denied  it. 

"  I  know  why  you  are  unhappy — it  is  not  anxiety  for 
your  father — but  for  to-day  please  try  to  forget."  His 
voice  was  so  gentle  that  the  smile  she  bestowed  upon  him 
was  appreciative  of  his  kindness. 

Suddenly  he  said  :  "  Since  I  have  seen  his  sister  I  do  not 
hate  him  so  much." 

"  Hush  !  "  Stella  aaid.  She  looked  nervously  at  him  ; 
an  unacknowledged  fear  took  definite  shape  in  her  mind 
as  she  did  so. 

"  No  !  "  he  said,  "  I  do  not  love  Miss  Nancy.  If  I  had 
never  seen  you  I  would  have  desired  her,  but  not  now. 
You  exhaust  my  senses  :  I  have  none  for  any  other  woman. 
But  she  is  pure  and  beautiful,  and  she  is  his  sister,  How 
is  such  a  thing  possible  t  " 

"  Have  you  already  forgotten  what  we  owe  to  Vernon  f 
You  should  love  him  for  it.  When  I  think  that  but  for 
him  we  should  not  have  had  father,  I  feel  that  I  could  lay 
my  very  soul  in  his  hands  to  do  just  as  he  liked  with." 

Girgis  became  excited.  "  And  what  did  he  do,  if  you 
please  t  Only  what  any  man  would  have  done,  only  what 
no  man  could  not  have  done.  He  had  the  good  chance 


141 

to  be  the  man  chosen  to  do  this  thing  .  .  .  while  I,  who 
long  to  serve  you,  was  only  a  few  yards  away.  Why  has 
he  all  the  fortune  ?  Now  will  you  feel  that  whatever  he 
does,  or  thinks,  you  must  bear  with  it ;  you  will  give  him 
your  soul.  ...  I  would  have  saved  your  father  and  died 
for  him,  if  only  to  win  tenderness  always  from  your  eyes 
when  you  thought  of  me." 

"  Girgis,  why  do  you  still  think  of  me  like  that  f  .  .  . 
Try  not  to." 

"  When  you  loved  Vernon  Thorpe  could  you  have  made 
yourself  not  love  him  ?  Who  can  do  these  things  ?  We 
cannot  help  love,  we  cannot  help  love." 

Stella  noticed  that  he  had  said  "  when  "  you  loved  Vernon, 
but  she  ignored  the  inference.  "  No,  no,"  she  said,  "  one 
can't  help  loving,  I  know  that,  but  you  only  think  you 
love  me,  I'm  sure  you  do — you  gave  yourself  no  time, 
you  didn't  know  me  ;  you  said  you  would  marry  me  the 
first  time  we  met.  Do  you  remember  t  "  she  tried  to  treat 
the  matter  more  lightly. 

"  Because  you  came  like  light  into  my  heart,  and,  like 
the  full  moon,  the  mystery  of  your  beauty  raised  my  love 
to  worship.  You  are  my  divinity." 

His  romantic  manner  of  expressing  his  love  for  her 
brought  the  tender  smile  that  he  loved  to  see  into  her 
eyes.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  her  Western  upbringing  had 
imbued  her  with  the  feeling  that  love  poetically  expressed 
was  seldom,  if  ever,  deeply  felt,  she  was  conscious  that  her 
cousin  had  a,  feeling  for  her  which  was  far  removed  from 
the  sensuous  passion  of  most  Egyptians.  She  felt  sorry 
for  him,  and  troubled  about  how  fco  treat  him  ;  at  the  same 
time  the  relief  she  experienced  in  the  fact  that  Nancy, 
with  her  glowing  personality  and  vitality,  had  not  inspired 
him  with  an  overwhelming  passion,  outbalanced  her  sorrow 
that  he  was  still  romantically  attached  to  herself.  He 
was  very  attractive  this  afternoon  in  his  capacity  as  host, 
and  his  good  qualities  appealed  to  Stella  none  the  less  for 
Nancy's  very  obvious  approval  of  him. 

They  had  good  appetites  for  the  beautifully  cooked 
dinner,  he  had  personally  supervised.  He  knew  Stella's 
likes  and  dislikes,  and  as  she  watched  him  while  he  attended 
to  their  various  wants,  she  could  scarcely  believe  that  his 
home  life  was  spent  in  the  absurd  surroundings  they  had 
seen  that  afternoon  ;  yet,  in  spite  of  his  ease  of  manner  and 
perfect  familiarity  with  Western  methods  of  entertaining,  she 
could  not  think  of  him  as  her  cousin  by  blood,  he  was  still 
one  of  the  enigmas  of  Egypt.  That  Vernon  had  saved  her 
father's  life  was  never  long  absent  from  Stella's  thoughts  — 
she  was  in  return  ready  to  lay  down  her  life  for  him  ;  but 


142  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

the  deed  had  not  brought  them  any  closer  together,  for  in 
her  gratitude  she  had  placed  herself  on  a  new  and  almost 
strange  footing  towards  her  lover.  He  implored  her  to 
forget  her  gratitude — in  her  tenderness  towards  him 
he  missed  the  old  fire  of  her  first  passion.  If  Michael 
Ireton  had  not  spoken  to  her,  and  she  had  not  allowed 
herself  to  be  false  in  thought  to  her  lover  at  the  very 
moment  when  he  was  offering  up  his  own  life  for  her 
father's — she  might  perhaps  have  retained  her  former 
independence.  Now  she  must  make  amends  for  that 
moment  of  sudden  surrender  to  the  man  who  had  taught  her 
what  his  deeper  nature  knew  of  a  lover's  devotion  for  the 
woman  he  prized. 

After  dinner  Girgis  disappeared,  and  they  did  not  see 
him  again  until  they  said  good-night  to  him  :  they  little 
imagined  that  he  was  supervising  the  erection  of  mosquito- 
curtains  on  their  various  beds,  and  seeing  that  their  bed- 
rooms were  as  attractive  as  he  could  make  them.  With 
the  awful  masterfulness  of  an  ancient  Egyptian  he  had 
insisted  upon  mosquito -netting  being  produced  from  some- 
where. It  had  been  forgotten,  but  it  was  produced  !  A 
native  runner  had  been  to  the  Fayyum  and  back  in  an 
incredibly  short  space  of  time.  His  brown  body,  naked 
but  for  the  meagerest  loin-cloth,  was  now  steaming  like  a 
roast  of  beef  which  had  just  been  pulled  from  the  oven, 
and  his  tongue  was  parched  to  a  cinder,  but  the  mos- 
quito-netting for  the  rich  "  Seti "  had  been  procured.  If 
Stella  had  seen  the  poor  wretch  panting  on  a  circular  prayer- 
mat  made  of  straw,  at  the  back  door  of  the  inn  she  would 
have  thought  her  security  from  mosquito -bites  dearly 
bought.  But  Girgis  feared  that  malarious  mosquitoes 
might  hover  round  their  lake  dwelling,  and  if  the  native 
had  died  from  exhaustion,  his  place  in  the  world  could  be 
filled  at  dawn  by  a  new  man. 

It  was  only  nine  o'clock  when  they  went  to  bed,  because 
their  day  had  begun  very  early  ;  but  Nancy  and  Stella, 
who  shared  one  queer  little  room,  talked  until  at  least  an 
hour  later.  Their  mosquito -curtains  prevented  them 
sitting  on  the  edge  of  their  beds  in  their  customary  fashion 
so  they  sat  on  the  cool  straw-matted  floor,  with  their  arms 
hugging  their  knees. 

Nancy's  flood  of  golden  hair,  which  entirely  hid  her  face, 
made  Stella's  seem  very  dark,  just  as  her  gay  and  mis- 
chievous face  proved  that  Stella's  had  grown  very  serious 
for  her  years.  In  Nancy's  eyes  Stella  now  resembled 
Rossetti's  "  La  belle  dame  sans  merci " — especially  when 
her  hair  was  let  down  for  brushing. 

Suddenly  Nancy  put  her  chin  on  her  knees,  and  for  a 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  143 

moment  her  gay  voice  became  serious.  "  Stella,"  she 
said,  "  how  does  it  feel  to  have  three  men  in  love  with  you 
at  one  time  t  " 

Stella,  to  hide  her  embarrassment  said,  "  Don't  be  an 
ass,  Nancy." 

Nancy  sighed.  "I'd  be  quite  contented  with  one. 
What's  the  use  of  being  pretty  if  no  one  loves  you  f  " 

"  One  of  the  three  who,  you  imagine,  are  in  love  with  me, 
do  you  mean  t  " 

'  No."  Nancy's  eyes  dropped.  "  No,"  she  repeated 
slowly,  "  I'm  not  a  Ptolemy,  so  I  couldn't  marry  my  own 
brother,  and  Michael  Ireton  .  .  ."  she  paused  and  looked 
at  Stella,  who  instantly  unclasped  her  hair  and  let  it  fall 
over  her  face.  Her  apparent  impatience  did  not  unnerve 
Nancy,  who  continued,  "  Michael  Ireton  is  too  monogamous 
— he'd  make  me  unfaithful  in  a  week  ;  while  Girgis  .  .  ." 
she  gave  a  little  shiver,  "  oh  !  he'd  terrify  me.  He  might 
turn  out  to  be  a  Bluebeard." 

Stella  looked  at  her  sxispiciously.  ..."  Why  ...  I 
thought  you  admired  him  t  " 

"  So  I  do,  and  I  like  him  most  awfully,  all  we  know  of 
him  ;  but  neither  you  nor  I  really  know  him,  or  will  ever 
know  him." 

Stella  nodded  her  head.     "  That's  what  I  feel." 

Nancy  always  spoke  as  though  she  and  Stella  belonged 
to  the  same  race  of  people.  "  He  knows  far  more  about 
us  than  we  know  about  him — I  mean  the  human  part  of 
our  natures.  He  may  not  have  met  many  Englishwomen, 
but  he  has  the  ancients'  understanding  of  human  nature. 

Stella  said  very  gravely  :  "  We  know  only  the  civilised 
part  of  him,  which  is  the  lesser  part." 

"  Of  course,  that's  all  we  ever  know  about  any  one," 
Nancy  said  ;  "  it's  all  we  allow  people  to  know  ...  we 
hardly  know  the  '  other  part '  of  our  own  selves,  do  we  ?  " 

"  But  with  Girgis  the  uncivilised  part  belongs  to  a 
strange  people.  ..."  Stella  paused  abruptly  in  the 
middle  of  her  speech  ;  her  hair  still  veiled  her  face. 

"  Well  t  "  Nancy  said,  "  go  on." 

"  I  often  try  to  visualise  the  Girgis  we  don't  know,  the 
Girgis  who  has  nothing  to  do  with  Coptic  schools,  and 
electric  ploughs,  and  automatic  wells,  and  brown  riding- 
boots,  and  afternoon  teas  ;  the  Girgis  who  still  in  his  heart 
worships  '  Sebek,'  the  Crocodile  God  of  Al  Fayyum  ;  the 
Girgis  who  would  have  offered  up  his  own  sister  as  a  victim 
to  the  Nile  for  the  propitiation  of  its  bountiful  overflow- 
ing." 

Nancy  shivered. 

"  He  is,  with  all  his  love  of  progress  and  hunger  for 


144  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

modernity  and  for  the  regeneration  of  Egypt,  a  reincarna- 
tion of  an  ancient  Pharaoh — I  see  it  BO  often  in  him.  He 
wears  his  clothes  beautifully — and  how  well  he  chooses 
them  ! — but  they  don't  really  hide  the  inscrutable  statue 
of  the  Pharaoh  he  really  is,  do  they  t  " 

"  No,"  Nancy  said,  "  not  a  bit." 

"  There  is  nothing  living,"  Stella  said  slowly,  "  that 
I  have  seen  in  all  Egypt  so  Eastern  as  my  own  cousin 
Girgis.  And  the  more  he  adopts  the  fine  veneer  of  European 
civilisation,  the  more  Eastern  he  appears  to  me." 

"  Aren't  you  very  proud  of  it  t  I  feel  so  terribly  modern 
when  I  am  with  him."  She  was  examining  Stella's  pretty 
almond  nails  and  slender  fingers. 

Stella  caught  her  hand  tightly  in  hers  :  "  You're  a  dar- 
ling, Nancy  ;  you've  been  so  sweet,  we  all  adore  you." 
Her  voice  shook. 

"  Oh,  Stella  !  It  is  all  of  you  who  have  been  adorable 
to  me." 

"  You  know  everything  and  understand  everything  now, 
you  have  met  my  relations  on  my  father's  side  :  are  you  not 
just  a  little  ashamed  of  the  connection  t  " 

Nancy  took  the  veil  of  dark  hair  in  her  hands  and  drew 
it  away  from  Stella's  face  so  that  she  c/>uld  look  into  her 
eyes  while  she  answered.  "  Not  in  the  least,"  she  said 
slowly ;  "  I  hate  the  beastly  stuck-up  English  people 
who  can't  see  the  difference  there  is  between  you,  dearest, 
and  all  your  clever  family,  and  the  ordinary  common 
Levantines  and  natives  whom  both  you  and  I  abhor. 
Who  could  be  ashamed  of  Girgis  ?  " 

"  I'm  not,"  Stella  said,  "  but  I  know  the  way  in  which 
English  people  are  taught  to  regard  all  races  who  belong  to 
the  Eastern  hemisphere.  .  .  .  Vernon  didn't  want  you  to 
visit  us  :  we  almost  quarrelled  over  your  coming." 

"  Good  heavens  !  Is  that  why  you  wrote  that  letter 
and  sent  the  wire  which  I  never  got  ?  " 

"  Yes,  it  was  to  please  him." 

"  And  I  came  in  spite  of  everything.  How  can  you 
love  such  a  snob  !  .  .  ."  she  looked  into  Stella's  eyes 
searchingly,  and  said  again  ...  "  Why  do  you  love 
him!" 

Stella  let  her  hair  screen  her  face  again  as  she  bent  her 
head  ...  "  Hush,  Nancy,  don't !  You  shouldn't  speak 
of  him  like  that — how  can  you  !  .  .  .  we  never  know  why 
we  love  ;  but  surely,  now,  he  is  worth  loving.  .  .  ." 

"  I  couldn't  marry  a  man  who  was  a  snob.  You  think 
he  was  frightfully  brave  because  he  saved  your  father  .  .  . 
well,  if  he  hadn't  done  it,  he'd  have  been  a  coward — that's 
another  way  of  looking  upon  his  act  of  heroism.  .  .  ." 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  145 

"  Fancy  being  ashamed  of  anything  that  belonged  to 
you  !  "  she  went  on  hotly.  "  I  thought  Girgis's  cousins 
were  funny  and  awfully  awkward  in  their  stuffy,  ugly 
European  clothes,  and  so  did  you  !  .  .  .  but  just  think  what 
we  should  have  looked  like  in  their  eyes  if  we  had  chosen 
to  wear  Eastern  dresses  without  knowing  how  they  should 
be  put  on  !  I  guess  we'd  have  made  an  even  greater 
muddle  of  it  than  they  did  ;  besides,  isn't  it  awful  to  let 
ourselves  care  so  much  about  these  trivial  things.  I  felt 
all  the  time  that  both  the  mother  and  daughter  must 
know  about  all  sorts  of  interesting  things  that  they  were 
too  shy  to  introduce  into  conversation.  Think  of  how  little 
chance  they  have  had  to  feel  at  ease  in  strange  society." 

"  It's  the  trivial  things  that  weigh  down  the  scales  of 
life.  .  .  ."  Stella  said  quietly  ;  "  if  we  could  rise  above 
trivial  things  life  would  be  comparatively  easy." 

"  That's  true,"  Nancy  said  thoughtfully,  "  but  I  can't 
believe  that  my  own  brother  didn't  want  me  to  visit  his 
future  wife's  relations.  It  makes  me  sick  to  think  of  it, 
and  ashamed  of  him." 

"  But  it's  quite  true.  He  urged  me  to  go  home  and  wait 
for  him  in  England,  so  that  I  should  not  have  to  mix  with 
my  father's  people  .  .  .  and  I  want  to  do  things  he'd 
hate  ...  I  want  to  do  all  I  can  with  money  and  educa- 
tion to  help  to  raise  the  women,  for  if  the  women  were 
better  educated  and  were  treated  with  greater  respect 
by  the  men,  they  could  do  far  more  for  the  advancement  of 
Egypt  than  all  the  acts  of  parliaments  and  public  bodies 
put  together  that  try  to  put  down  vice  and  dirt  and  horrible - 
ness  :  for  you  mustn't  be  mistaken  about  things  .  .  .  out 
here  they  are  horrible  .  .  ."  she  made  a  face  of  disgust.  .  .  . 
"  Cairo  is  horrible  ;  the  visitors  only  see  the  fair  side  of 
it,  but  the  truth  would  horrify  you.  .  .  ."  She  sighed. 
"  When  scarcely  any  of  the  women  can  read,  and  when 
they  have  no  idea  of  a  moral  training  for  their  sons,  and  are 
even  without  the  most  ignorant  sense  of  decency  in  the 
matter  of  cleanliness,  what  can  you  expect  ?  .  .  .  Vernon 
never  wants  you  to  know  that  I  belong  to  that  side  of 
Cairo  really — the  native  side,  I  mean." 

Nancy's  temper  was  up  in  a  flash,  her  violet  eyes  were  as 
black  as  onyx  :  "  Know  what  ?  I  should  like  to  know  : 
know  that  your  brother  and  father  have  twice  the  brains 
that  he  has,  that  they  are  both  too  well  bred  to  be  the 
Bnob  that  he  is,  that  when  he's  with  them  he  must,  if  he  has 
any  feelings  at  all,  know  how  ignorant  he  is  compared  to 
them  both.  Oh  !  don't  you  see  that  he's  a  walking  monu- 
ment of  Anglo-Saxon  vanity  and  prejudice  ?  I  don't  see 
how  you  can  go  on  loving  him.  I  saw  Nicolas  looking  at 


146  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

him  the  other  night  when  he  said  quite  proudly  that  he 
had  never  even  heard  of,  let  alone  read  a  word  of  '  Omar 
Khayyam  '  in  MB  life.  Nicolas  couldn't  believe  it  .  .  ." 
She  looked  at  Stella  for  a  reply. 

"  Don't  you  want  me  to  go  on  loving  him,  dear  f  " 

Nancy's  anger  broke  down.  "  Yes,  of  course  I  do  ;  I'll 
be  awfully  sick  if  you  ever  fall  out  of  love  with  him  ;  if  you 
were  lost  to  the  family  it  would  be  ghastly." 

"  Then  why  say  things  like  that  !  " 

"  I  only  say  them  because  I  know  you  always  will  love 
him  in  spite  of  everything.  You're  so  blind  when  you  care 
for  people  :  I  suppose  that's  why  they  say  love  is  blind." 

Stella  began  brushing  her  hair  very  diligently.  In  the 
days  that  had  passed  since  the  attempted  murder  of  her 
father  she  had  almost  succeeded  in  banishing  Michael's 
dominating  personality  from  her  thoughts,  and  was  living 
once  more  in  a  dream  of  imaginery  love  for  Vernon  .  .  . 
he  had  saved  her  father's  life,  and  by  so  doing  had  un- 
consciously surrounded  himself  with  an  atmosphere  of 
heroic  romance.  Yet  if  her  soul  could  have  spoken  to 
Nancy  it  would  have  said,  "  The  man  I  once  loved  bored 
me  :  he  is  your  brother  ;  take  him  away,  let  everything  be 
finished  between  us,  let  me  pay  for  his  deed  of  heroism  in 
another  way  than  by  becoming  his  wife.  .  .  ."  But  the 
soul  did  not  speak,  and  the  woman  was  too  eagerly  engaged 
in  deceiving  herself  and  clothing  her  Fallen  God  with  the 
garments  of  Love  to  allow  it  a  chance. 

Nancy,  little  dreaming  of  the  thoughts  Stella  was  hiding 
behind  her  veil  of  dark  hair,  said  :  "  Tell  me,  Stella,  has 
Nicolas  ever  been  in  love  t  " 

"  I  think  he  once  cared  for  a  girl,  I'm  nearly  sure  he 
did  ;  but  he's  never  mentioned  a  word  of  it  to  me  ;  he  is 
very  reserved,  as  you  can  see." 

"  What  happened  ?  .  .  .  Was  she  an  English  girl  ?  " 
If  Stella  could  have  seen  Nancy's  eyes  as  she  asked  the 
question,  she  would  have  learned  that  the  asking  of  that 
question  was  the  "  postscript  "  of  the  girl's  conversation. 

"  I  think  he'd  hate  me  to  speak  about  it."       Stella 

Eaused  ..."  Yes,  the  girl  was  English,  he  knew  Lor  when 
e  lived  in  Paris  .  .  .  she  allowed  him  to  get  fond  of  her, 
and  do  everything  for  her,  all  that  a  devoted  friend  may 
do,  I  mean  ;  when  he  came  to  Cairo  she  got  her  mother  to 
bring  her  out  to  Egypt.  .  .  ."  Stella  was  breathless  ;  her 
indignation  had  risen,  but  she  was  trying  to  speak  in- 
differently. Nancy  saw  her  emotion.  .  .  .  "In  Cairo 
she  .  .  .  well,  she  dropped  him  !  " 

"  Little  beast !  "  Nancy  hissed.  "  What's  become  of  her  1 
Does  he  love  her  still  t  " 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  147 

"  She's  married  the  heir  to  a  baronetcy  who  is  drinking 
himself  to  death." 

"  And  does  Nicolas  still  care  ?  "  Nancy  said  persis- 
tently. 

"  No,  1  don't  think  so  ;  he  was  heart-hurt  rather  than 
heart-broken  at  the  time  even  ;  but  he  was  so  badly  hurt 
that  he  never  trusts  any  woman  now  :  with  all  his  gentleness 
of  disposition  he  is  dreadfully  cynical.  The  girl  looked  so 
young  and  sympathetic,  mother  says,  but  she  was  really  as 
hard  as  nails  and  as  selfish  as  a  man." 

Nancy  picked  up  her  brush  and  rose  to  her  feet.  .  .  . 
"  Then  if  I  fall  in  love  with  Nicolas  I  shall  have  to  propose 
to  him  !  " 

Stella  caught  hold  of  her  feet  and  brought  the  girl 
toppling  to  the  ground  ;  she  caught  her  in  her  arms  and  held 
her  like  a  child.  "  Nancy,"  she  cried,  looking  into  the 
naughty  eyes  and  laughing  face  .  .  .  '  Nancy,  you  mustn't 
.  .  .  promise  me,  Nancy,  you  won't  play  with  him." 

"  Oh  !  don't  be  alarmed,"  she  said  ..."  Your  Nicolas  is 
quite  safe,  he  doesn't  think  me  '  as  sweet  to  the  nostrils  '  as 
Girgis  does  ..."  she  went  into  a  fit  of  laughter  at  the 
thought  of  Girgis's  similes.  ..."  Girgis  makes  me  scream, 
he's  so  quaint,  and  so  delightfully  poetic  ;  I  can't  imagine 
Vernon  even  thinking  the  things  he  says :..."! 
shouldn't  think  Vernon  ever  took  the  trouble  to  think  out 
poetic  speeches,  does  he  1  " 

Stella  blushed  guiltily,  for  in  her  imagination  it  was  not 
Vernon's  form  of  English  love-making  to  which  her  mind 
had  flown,  but  the  few  fierce  words  Michael  Ireton  had 
spoken,  words  which  had  stirred  more  fire  in  her  veins,  and 
wakened  more  songs  in  her  heart,  than  all  the  Oriental 
phraseology  of  Girgis  at  his  best.  She  wished  Nancy 
would  stop  talking  and  go  to  bed,  for  with  the  sudden 
opening  of  her  memory  to  Michael  Ireton's  devouring  eyes 
and  the  confession  of  his  love,  the  woman  in  her  was  thun- 
dering at  her  senses,  and  she  was  ashamed  ! 

But  Nancy  loved  teasing.  "  You're  blushing !  I  do 
believe  he's  better  at  it  than  I  thought.  I  can  only  imagine 
him  saying,  '  I'm  beastly  fond  of  you,  old  girl.'  Does  he 
talk  everlastingly  about  cricket  and  polo  and  golf  1  Do 
you  remember  the  day  at  Lord's  when  you  thought  the 
umpire  in  his  white  coat  was  the  doctor  in  attendance  ?  " 

They  both  laughed  at  the  memory  of  that  terrible  day 
when  Stella  had  tried  her  best  to  please  her  lover  by  being 
interested  in  cricket.  .  .  . 

"  It's  all  so  absurd,"  Nancy  said,  "  you  classing  yoxirself 
with  the  native  life  here  ;  you're  not  Egyptian,  you're 
Syrian,  and  if  you  were,  Egyptians  aren't  niggera  !  " 


148  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

"  No,  we're  not  Egyptians,"  Stella  said  slowly,  "  we  are 
Syrians,  and  Syrians  are  classed  with  the  Jews  and  the 
usurers  of  the  world  generally.  Our  intelligence  annoys 
rather  than  pleases  you  English  .  .  ."  she  stopped  abruptly 
..."  We  belong  to  the  Semitic  races  !  " 

Nancy  gave  a  breathless  little  gasp.  ..."  Does  .  .  . 
does  your  father  lend  money,  Stella  t  " 

"  No,  but  Syrians  do,  and  so  do  the  Jews,  because  the 
Mohammedans  can't,  the  Koran  forbids  it  ...  but  it 
doesn't  prevent  them  borrowing."  Stella  smiled  sar- 
castically. 

' '  Are  Mohammedans  great  gamblers,  then  t  " 

"  Frightful." 

"  Does  Girgis  lend  money  f  "     Nancy  spoke  timidly. 

"  No,  rather  not ;  he  does  all  he  can  to  prevent  young 
Egyptians  from  borrowing  money  .  .  .  they  mortgage 
their  cotton-crops  year  after  year  .  .  .  the  money  all 
goes  on  the  '  fleshpots  of  Egypt '  ...  on  the  very  things 
that  the  Prophet  forbade.  The  young  Egyptians  who 
live  in  cities  care  for  nothing  but  dress,  horse-racing,  and 
gambling  .  .  .  the  Jews  and  Syrians  are  hated  because 
they  are  careful  and  have  made  big  fortunes  by  lending 
money  at  high  interest  to  foolish  gamblers  .  .  .  the  Egyp- 
tians would  always  borrow  money  somehow  and  some- 
where !  " 

"  But  moneylending  is  horrid  .  .  ."  Nancy  shivered  .  .  . 
"  I'm  glad  Girgis  never  does  it,  aren't  you  !  " 

"  Yes,  I  am  glad,"  Stella  said,  "  and  thank  God  father 
abhors  it." 

Both  girls  were  silent  for  a  few  moments. 

"  You  see  what  I  mean,"  Stella  said.  "  The  regenera- 
tion of  Egypt,  must  be  effected  by  elevating  the  standard 
of  womanhood."  She  paused.  ..."  We  must  raise 
these  women  even  if  we  awaken  them  to  suffering.  I 
know  they  are  happier  as  they  are,  but  they  have  slept 
long  enough,  poor  things." 

"  Do  you  think  they  are  really  happier  as  they  are  T  " 
Nancy  asked.  "  Why  t  " 

"  I  think  they  are,  for  they  are  unconscious  of  their  un- 
happiness  .  .  .  the  enlightened  woman  is  not.  They 
don't  know  that  they  are  ignorant,  and  filthy,  and  idle, 
and  not  fit  to  be  the  mothers  of  any  race  of  men." 

"  Then,  dear,"  Nancy  said,  "  why,  oh,  why  waken 
them  t  " 

"  Why  wake  them  1  "  Stella  said.  "  Because  every  one 
must  suffer  for  a  big  cause,  and  surely  the  regeneration  of 
their  nation  is  a  big  enough  one  .  .  .  the  ancient  Egyptians 
never  could  have  been  as  great  a  race  if  their  women  had 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  149 

been  as  the  women  are  to-day  ...  we  know  they  weren't ; 
history  tells  us  that  they  weren't ;  the  pictures  on  the  walls 
show  us  that  they  weren't  .  .  .  the  Egyptian  mother  of 
to-day  is  a  disgrace  to  her  l^nd  .  .  .  why  the  men  are  as 
decent  as  they  are  is  a  marvel." 

"  The  Koran,"  Nancy  said  :  "  the  men  can  read  the 
Koran." 

"  Oh,  the  Egyptian  youth  of  to-day  pays  very  little 
attention  to  the  Koran  ...  to  escape  military  service  he 
goes  through  a  course  of  education  at  El-Azhar,  the  Moham- 
medan University,  where  he  has  to  study  the  Koran,  but 
when  he  is  through  his  course  he  shakes  it  off.  .  .  .  El- 
Azhar,"  Stella  said  dreamily,  "  is  the  most  beautiful  thing 
in  Cairo.  You  must  go  there." 

"  I'd  love  to,"  Nancy  said. 

"El-Azhar,"  Stella  said,  "is  like  the  Vatican:  it's  a 
vast,  mediaeval  organisation  which  appeals  to  the  emotions 
and  annoys  the  intellect.  When  I  walk  through  its 
ancient  courts  full  of  devout  students,  apparently  lost  to 
the  world  in  their  search  after  Truth,  I  hate  all  modern 
progress,  I  loathe  the  idea  of  changing  in  any  way  this 
beautiful  seat  of  learning  which  has  gone  on  since  .  .  . 
long  before  England  saw  the  Normans."  Again  she 
paused.  "  But  if  you  were  to  go  through  the  '  fish  mar- 
ket '  at  night,  as  I  did  disguised  as  a  native  woman  once, 
you  would  want  to  open  the  gates  of  El-Azhar  to  even  the 
most  vulgar  inroads  of  modernity  .  .  .  you  would  want 
to  let  in  the  fresh  air  of  progress  .  .  .  you  would  want 
to  let  in  the  idea  that  women,  as  the  mothers  of  all  nations, 
must  hold  an  even  higher  position  in  the  land  than  the 
men  ;  that,  grafted  on  to  the  Prophet's  teachings,  must 
come  the  teachings  of  the  world  of  to-day." 

"  Stella,  why  don't  you  teach  the  women  these 
things  t  You  could  do  a  lot  of  good  by  public  speaking." 
Nancy  kad  heard  of  the  "  fish  market." 

"  I  want  to,  but  it's  so  difficult ;  more  than  I  can  tell 
you,"  Stella  said. 

"  I  suppose  it  would  be  difficult,"  Nancy  said. 

"  There  are  so  many  people  to  consider  :  there's  father 
.  .  ."  She  was  going  to  say  "  and  Vernon,"  but  refrained 
..."  and  even  mother,  I  believe  she  would  .  .  ." 

"  Would  your  father  object  ?  Really  I  don't  believe 
he  would." 

"  Yes,  I  thinJc  BO  ...  Not  that  he  would  think  it 
wrong,  but  you  must  always  remember  that  at  the  back 
of  everything  .  .  ."  she  hesitated  .  .  .  "father  is  an 
Eastern,  and  he  knows  the  vile  Oriental  mind  ...  he 
knows  the  sort  of  things  Arabs  say  and  think  about 


150  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

women  who  do  anything  in  public,  and  he  simply  can't 
bear  the  idea  of  even  the  vilest  and  most  ignorant  of  them 
thinking  horrible  thoughts  about  hie  own  wife  and  child." 

"  I  see,"  Nancy  said  ;  "  it's  awfully  difficult." 

"  Father  is  hated  almost  as  much  as  if  he  was  an  Eng- 
lishman by  all  the  different  sects,  except  perhaps  by  the 
'  Independent  Egyptian  Party,'  which  is  repesented  by 
the  highest  Coptic  people  ;  and  I  think  he's  respected  by 
many  of  the  influential  and  wealthy  Moslems,  whose  aim 
is  '  Representative  Government  in  Egypt  irrespective  of 
race  or  religion,'  because  they  know  that  he  is  not  sell- 
interested,  that  like  them,  his  first  wish  is  for  Egypt." 

"  Does  Girgis  belong  to  that  party  1  " 

"  He  goes  much  farther  ;  he  has  many  sympathies  with 
the  '  Nationalists.'  He  used  to  belong  to  the  Party  of  the 
People,  as  the  moderate  Nationalists  are  called  .  .  .  but 
you  must  remember  that  Girgis  is  awfully  young  ;  father  is 
old  enough  to  have  seen  the  days  of  Turkish  oppression." 

"  How  old  is  Girgis  f  " 

"  Just  my  age  .  .  .  not  twenty -three." 

Nancy  laughed.  "  Good  heavens  !  Stella,  he's  only  a 
boy." 

"  You  must  remember  that  most  native  '  boys  '  of  his 
age  are  married  men  and  fathers.  Twenty-three  in  an 
Egyptian  is  equvialent  to  thirty -three  and  more  in  an 
Englishman.  Boys  have  all  the  independence  of  men  :  in 
Egypt  they  have  often  homes  of  their  own  at  sixteen." 

"  I'm  sorry  for  Girgis,"  Nancy  said.  "  You've  given  him 
a  soul  :  he's  bound  to  suffer." 

Stella  did  not  pretend  not  to  understand  what  she  meant, 
but  said  sadly  :  "  I  don't  know  how  much  he  feels,  I  don't 
begin  to  understand  him  ;  he  likes  me,  I  know,  but  hov» 
deeply  or  how  lastingly  it  is  impossible  for  us  to  judge. 
His  life  is  unusual,  so  his  feelings  may  be  different  from 
the  ordinary  Egyptian's." 

"  One  can't  fathom  him,"  Nancy  said,  "  but  anyhow,  you 
have  given  him  a  new  standard  of  womanhood  ;  he  can 
never  fall  in  love  with  an  ignorant  Copt  after  having  loved 
you,  and  that's  rather  sad  for  him." 

"  He  never  would  have  '  fallen  in  love/  my  dear  ...  Ha 
would  have  married  in  due  time  and  had  sons,  by  Allah  !  " 

"  And  after  all  that's  man's  chief  end,"  Nancy  said. 

"  The  Moslem  makes  no  pretence  that  it  is  not,"  Stella 
said.  "  Sentiment  is  a  Western  idiosyncrasy :  the  East 
keeps  sentiment  for  outside  the  walls  of  the  harem." 

"  And  all  his  great  aspirations,  his  theories  t  " 

"  Oh,  about  them  he's  quite  in  earnest ;  he  is  full  of 
'  sentiment  and  emotion  for  Egypt.  Beside*,  cotton  and 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  151 

the  growing  of  it  interests  all  native-born  Egyptians  ;  it's 
in  their  blood,  like  wool  is  in  Australians.  He's  deep  in 
the  great  problem  now  of  how  to  mature  Egyptian  cotton 
earlier  in  the  season,  before  the  boll-worm  has  time  to  ruin 
the  crops.  .  .  .  The  boll-worm  does  its  worst  in  Septem- 
ber. The  great  question  which  is  puzzling  Egyptian  cotton- 
experts  is :  Should  Egyptian  farmers  introduce  more 
American  cotton  into  the  country  ?  ...  it  produces  a 
heavier  head  of  cotton  and  is  less  affected  by  the  boll- 
worm  on  account  of  its  early  ripening  ...  or  should  they 
stick  to  the  superior  Egyptian  plant,  which  is  the  only 
cotton  in  the  market  which  will  mercerise  satisfactorily  t 
Egyptian  cotton  fetches  a  far  higher  price  in  the  market 
...  at  the  same  time  two  or  three  successive  years  of 
bad  boll-worm  produce  disastrous  results.  Girgis  is,  of 
course,  all  for  preserving  the  Egyptian  plant,  and  I  think 
he's  right,  for  it  has  qualities  no  other  cotton  possesses  .  .  . 
dear  boy,  he's  setting  his  whole  mind  to  work  on  the  problem 
of  the  boll -worm  ...  if  his  heart  has  other  interests  .  .  . 
He's  awfully  interested  in  all  the  experiments  of  the  agri- 
cultural society  ;  he's  working  with  them  privately,  as 
well  as  on  his  own  farm." 

"  How  splendid  !  "  Nancy  said.  "  I  wish  he  would  tell 
rno  all  about  these  things  .  .  .  they  are  much  more  interest- 
ing than  foolish  compliments,  pretty  as  they  are  !  " 

"  Poor  fellow,  he's  only  used  to  the  vapid  minds  of  the 
native  women,  who  never  concern  themselves  about  any- 
thing that  matters  ;  but  if  you  once  start  him  he'll  talk 
cotton  and  boll-worm  until  you  will  know  all  there  is  to  be 
known  on  the  subject.  You  see  how  well  informed  I  am." 

"  Good-night,  dear,"  Nancy  said  ;  "  I  suppose  we  must 
go  to  bed  .  .  .  but  you're  so  interesting  .  .  .  I'll  try  my 
hand  at  boll-worm  with  Girgis." 

"  Nancy,"  Stella  said,  "  you  look  such  a  fresh  wild  rose 
in  this  dry  land ;  but  everything  gets  mummified 
sooner  or  later,  so  put  some  grease  on  that  baby  skin  of 
yours,  or  it  will  be  burnt  to  a  cinder." 

"  All  right,"  Nancy  said  ;  "  I  don't  want  to  lose  my  one 
asset." 


CHAPTER  XXI 

THEY  awoke  next  morning  to  find  the  world  hot  and  sun- 
less ;  a  vapour  bath  enveloped  their  small  lake-dwelling  ; 
the  air  was  so  stifling  that  Nancy  was  almost  prostrate.    It 
was  her  first  experience  of  the  damp  heat  of  a  warm  country. 
On  a  sunless  day  Egypt  is  as  ugly  as  it  really  is  ...   on 


152  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

a  day  of  dazzling  sunshine,  it  is  as  beautiful  as  it  really  i 
not.  So  Nancy  said  as  she  stood  at  the  door  of  thcit 
canvas  room  and  looked  out  upon  the  mist-enveloped  lako 
and  along  the  dusty,  breathless  road  which  stretched  to- 
wards the  desert. 

Suddenly  she  called  to  Stella,  who  was  talking  to  Girgis 
in  the  room  behind  her.  "  Oh,  both  of  you  come  quickly  ! 
A  horse  has  bolted  and  is  tearing  down  the  road  ;  a  man  is 
holding  on  to  the  reins  and  trying  to  stop  it,  but  he's  being 
dragged  along  horribly  .  .  .  quick,  come  and  look  !  " 

Stella  and  Girgis  ran  to  her.  As  they  reached  the  opening 
Nancy  fled  down  the  outside  staircase,  which  took  her  to 
the  ground,  the  other  two  at  her  heels.  By  this  time  the 
horse  with  the  lorry  had  almost  reached  the  iron  gate  and 
the  two  white  posts  which  did  duty  as  an  entrance  to  the 
domains  of  the  lake-inn.  As  there  were  no  hedges  or 
dividing  lines  to  mark  the  enclosure  of  the  property  from 
the  surrounding  desert,  the  gate  was  merely  an  ornament. 
As  the  beast  swung  round  the  posts  the  man  lost  his  foot- 
ing and  was  flung  on  the  ground,  and  one  of  the  horse's 
fore-feet  passed  over  his  right  hand.  The  girls  heard  a 
scream  of  pain  from  the  wounded  Arab  ;  the  next  instant 
a  labourer  appeared  and  got  hold  of  the  horse  by  the 
bridle  :  it  had  slackened  its  pace  after  the  collision  with  the 
gate-post.  The  thrown  man  was  lying  in  a  huddled-up 
heap  on  the  path. 

Stella  and  Nancy  hurried  towards  him ;  Girgis  was 
quietly  returning  to  their  hotel  when  Stella  called  to  him  : 
"  Girgis,  the  man's  hurt — didn't  you  hear  him  scream  ! 
Send  some  one  to  help  him,  or  come  and  help  him  your- 
self." Girgis  stood  still  and  let  Stella  run  on.  When  she 
reached  the  man  she  asked  him  where  he  was  hurt ;  he 
was  groaning  and  moaning  as  though  in  mortal  agony. 
He  stretched  out  a  crushed  hand  :  it  was  streaming  with 
blood  and  the  palm  was  disgustingly  bruised.  As  he 
rolled  over  on  his  side  he  displayed  a  nasty  cut  on  his 
temple  .  .  .  Stella  turned  to  Girgis  for  advice  :  he  was  not 
there  !  He  was  speaking  to  the  Arab  holding  the  restive 
horse  .  .  .  she  heard  him  asking  "  had  he  brought  th| 
chickens  he  had  ordered  for  lunch,  and  the  fruit  ?  " 

Stella  was  furious.  "  Girgis  !  "  she  cried,  "  didn't  you 
hear  me  1  The  poor  creature  is  in  agony." 

Girgis  sauntered  towards  her  unconcernedly.  "  Leave 
him,"  he  said  ;  "  he's  only  moaning  because  you  are  there. 
Come  away." 

Nancy's  eyes  flashed  with  anger — she  could  not  trust  her- 
self to  speak.  She  was  holding  the  fellah's  hard-worked, 
Blender  hand  in  her  soft  fingers.  "  Here,  Stella,"  ahe  said, 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  153 

"  make  a  wad  of  my  handkerchief  and  put  it  in  the  palm 
of  his  hand,  and  then  tie  your  own  closely  round  it  ... 
yes,  tightly,  that's  right.  .  .  ." 

Stella  did  as  Nancy  told  her,  and  when  the  wound  was 
bound  up  as  well  as  it  could  be  with  two  little  pieces  of 
cambric  and  lace,  Stella  urged  the  man  to  sit  up,  to  try  if 
he  could  walk.  He  did  so  for  a  moment,  but  rolled  over 
again,  moaning  pitifully. 

"  Let's  go  to  the  inn,"  Nancy  said,  "  and  send  some  one 
to  him.  The  cut  on  his  head  ought  to  be  washed  :  the  flies 
are  getting  at  it."  Nancy  had  been  keeping  the  pests  oil 
the  wound  with  her  fly-switch. 

Before  they  left  him  Stella  took  four  Egyptian  shillings 
out  of  her  purse  and  gave  them  to  the  man.  "  You  can't 
do  any  work  for  a  few  days,"  she  said  ;  "that  will  buy  you 
gome  food.  I  will  send  some  one  from  the  inn  to  look  after 
your  wounds  :  turn  over  on  your  face  again  and  keep  the 
flies  off." 

The  man  did  as  he  was  bid. 

Girgis  was  still  talking  to  the  Arab  who  had  caught  the 
horse.  Stella  passed  him  without  a  word  or  a  glance,  and 
so  did  Nancy.  He  hastened  after  them.  "  The  boat  is 
ready  when  you  wish  to  go." 

"  Thank  you,"  Stella  said,  very  coldly,  "  I  must  first 
Bee  that  some  one  attends  to  that  poor  creature's  head  and 
hand  ;  it's  bleeding  horribly." 

"  It  is  not  at  all  necessary,"  Girgis  said  casually. 

"  I  think  it  is,  and  so  does  Nancy." 

"  As  you  wish,"  he  said. 

Stella  was  exasperated  at  his  brutality. 

Girgis  turned  to  look  at  the  man  :  ho  was  walking  away, 
his  groaning  had  ceased  ;  he  was  evidently  not  seriously 
hurt,  judging  by  the  manner  in  which  he  was  holding  him- 
self. "  Did  I  not  tell  you  that  he  was  only  groaning 
because  you  were  there  1  "  Girgis  looked  pleased. 

"  But  he  is  really  hurt,"  Nancy  said  ;  "  his  hand  is 
crushed  and  there  is  a  big  cut  on  his  head." 

Girgis  was  not  listeing— his  interest  was  centred  on  an 
automatic  native  well  they  were  passing  at  the  moment, 
which  he  had  induced  the  landlord  of  the  inn  to  purchase. 
He  left  the  girls  to  inspect  it.  Automatic  sakiyas  were  a 
great  feature  on  Girgis's  estates.  Stella  thought  them 
very  ugly,  and  regretted  the  innovation  :  they  were  all 
very  well  in  a  land  where  labour  had  to  be  saved,  but  in 
Egypt  she  considered  them  an  unnecessary  substitute  for 
the  old,  picturesque  Nile-wells. 

When  Girgis  was  out  of  hearing  Stella  turned  to  Nancy  : 
"  What  do  you  think  of  that  1  " 


154  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

"  I  think  it  is  the  ancient  Egyptian  showing  its  head, 
he's  too  nice  otherwise  to  be  utterly  devoid  of  pity." 

"  I'm  convinced  he  thinks  that  the  fellahin  can't  feel — 
they're  little  more  than  flies  to  him." 

"  But  of  course  they  do  feel,  else  why  should  he  be  work- 
ing for  their  progress  t  "  questioned  Nancy,  whose  eyes 
were  following  the  now  quickly  moving  figure  of  the  Arab. 
Against  the  pale  sand  of  the  desert  and  the  low  scrub  of 
pink-tipped  tamarisks  and  dark-leaved  castor-oil  plants, 
his  cotton  jebba  looked  as  blue  as  the  necklace  of  mummy 
beads  Stella  was  wearing. 

"  Of  course  they  feel,"  Stella  said,  "  but  they  are  philo- 
sophers as  well  as  children,  and  the  worst  of  it  is  that  the 
man  understands  Girgis  and  his  brutality  far  better  than  us 
and  our  sympathy  :  he  probably  respects  him  more." 

Girgis  was  so  totally  unconscious  of  having  disgusted  the 
two  girls  with  his  callous  behaviour,  that  he  attributed 
their  silence  in  the  boat  to  the  excessive  heat. 

They  were  in  a  huge  boat  manned  by  three  brown  Arabs 
who  were  pushing  their  way  through  a  narrow  channel 
overhung  with  a  dese  scrub  of  low-branching  tamarisks 
.  .  .  the  heat  was  stifling,  and  here  and  there  the  boat 
Btuck  on  the  channel's  muddy  bottom.  Then  the  men  had 
to  wade  waist-deep  in  the  water  to  push  her  off.  Before 
they  got  into  the  water  they  had  taken  oft  their  long  gala- 
beahs  and  dexterously  converted  their  red  handkerchiefs 
into  loin-cloths — otherwise  they  were  naked. 

When  they  at  last  got  out  into  the  open  lake  the  men 
climbed  back  into  the  boat,  but  there  was  not  much  more 
air  to  boast  of,  and  they  could  scarcely  see  a  hundred 
yards  in  front  of  them.  The  two  girls  and  Mrs.  Lekejian 
lapsed  into  silence,  and  Girgis  sat  like  a  carved  image 
in  the  end  of  the  boat.  Long  before  they  got  to  the  other 
side  of  the  lake,  the  unanimous  wish  was  to  return  to  their 
comfortable  quarters  in  the  hotel. 

Their  return  journey  was  made  in  dead  silence. 

When  they  reached  their  inn  they  were  amazed  to  find 
Nicolas  there.  He  said  he  had  given  himself  a  holiday, 
as  he  was  feeling  rather  slack.  He  had  spent  the  night 
in  the  hotel  in  the  Fayyum.  They  were  all  delighted  to  see 
him,  and  Nancy  said,  "  Now  I  shall  have  some  one  to  flirt 
with  :  Girgis  would  like  to  recite  Persian  poems  to  Stella 
all  day  long  if  I  was  not  here,  but  he  has  too  good  taste  to 
speak  in  a  language  I  can't  understand,  and  the  only 
English  poems  he  knows  are  nursery  rhymes." 

Nicolas  laughed  because  of  the  girl's  infectious  high 
spirits  and  love  of  mischief.  "  But  it  takes  two  to  flirt. 
Supposing  I  can't  or  won't  t  "  he  said  gravely. 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  155 

"  I'll  teach  you  if  you  can't,  and  if  you  won't,  what's 
the  use  of  your  coming  !  " 

"  What  is  flirting,  in  your  opinion  ?  " 

"  Oh,  having  a  ripping  time  !  Two  people  liking  each 
other  well  enough  to  pretend  they  like  each  other  a  lot 
more,  and  not  really  liking  each  other  well  enough  to  have  a 
a  bad  pain  if  they  don't !  " 

"  That's  just  what  I  thought,"  Nicolas  said,  "  and  it's 
a  game  in  which  I  can't  see  myself  the  winner." 

"  Well,  what  are  we  going  to  do  if  we  don't  flirt  ?  " 
I  didn't  come  to  Al  Fayyum  to  read  books  !  " 

Girgis,  who  had  come  into  the  room  at  that  moment, 
pulled  out  a  pack  of  cards  from  his  pocket.  "  Bridge  !  " 
he  said,  with  the  solemnity  of  an  oracle.  "  Will  you  like  to 
play  the  game  of  bridge,  Miss  Nancy  ?  " 

Stella  consulted  with  Nancy.  "  Shall  we  play  ?  It 
seems  so  rotten  to  be  playing  bridge  at  Lake  Moeris,  yet 
what  are  we  to  do  ?" 

"  When  there  ain't  a-going  to  be  no  lake,  why  not  try 
to  forget  it  f  "  Nicolas  said. 

"  That's  true,"  Nancy  said,  "  and  if  Nicolas  won't  flirt," 
she  rebuked  him  with  soft  eyes,  "  perhaps  he'll  condescend 
to  play — to  come  down  to  my  level  and  amuse  my  small 
mind." 

They  sat  down  to  a  game  of  bridge  while  Mrs.  Lekejian 
wrote  a  letter  to  her  husband.  Girgis  played  an  excellent 
game — he  was  Stella's  partner.  Nancy  and  Nicolas  both 
were  much  stronger  than  Stella,  who  had  no  natural  in- 
stinct for  games,  but  was  clever  enough  to  learn  anything 
she  set  her  mind  to,  and  Girgis  felt  frightfully  happy  at 
finding  himself  for  once  in  a  position  to  help  her  and  at  the 
eaine  time  show  off  his  own  quickness. 

Occasionally  Mrs.  Lekejian  looked  up  from  her  writing 
to  speak  or  smile  to  one  of  the  quartette,  and  each  time 
she  did  so  Nancy's  fair  hair  struck  her  as  strangely  incon- 
gruous beside  the  scarlet  tar  bush  of  her  nephew  and  the 
dark  glossy  hair  of  her  son  and  daughter.  Once,  as  she 
raised  her  eyes,  she  saw  Nancy  and  Nicolas  looking  for  a 
card  some  one  had  dropped — their  heads  were  close  to- 
gether under  the  table.  She  could  see  Nicolas's  hand  rest 
on  Nancy's  for  just  one  moment  before  the  girl  raised  a 
flushed  face  to  the  level  of  the  table.  As  she  did  so  she 
said  : 

"  Stella,  he's  flirting  with  me — he's  better  than  his 
word."  A  burst  of  laughter  came  from  all  four,  and 
Nicolas  turned  scarlet.  "  Don't  you  call  holding  hands 
flirting,  Mrs.  Lekejian  ?  "  .  .  .  *iancy  had  risen  from  her 
Beat  and  flown  to  Mrs.  Lekejian'a  Bide.  Flinging  herseH 


156  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

on  her  knees  she  said,  "  What  will  you  give  me  if  I  make 
your  grave  son  really  flirt  enough  to  forget  how  young  he 
is,  and  stop  being  grown  up  f  " 

Mrs.  Lekejian  pretended  to  whip  the  laughing  girl,  who 
flew  back  to  Nicolas.  "  If  you  are  so  grave  you  will  die 
an  early  death,"  she  said,  "or  be  put  in  the  museum,  or 
somewhere  worse." 

"  What  do  you  want  me  to  do  t  "  he  said. 

"  Amuse  your  guest,"  she  said,  bowing  with  mock 
gravity  before  him. 

"  How  shall  I  amuse  her  1  " 

"  Oh  !  don't  ask  her  how,  just  begin  ;  tell  her  stories — 
naughty  ones  if  you  don't  know  any  good  ones,  I  don't 
mind — only  I  must  be  amused  or  interested."  She  sighed 
despondently." 

Stella  laughed  ;  she  knew  Nancy's  fits  of  teasing  too  well 
to  do  anything  else. 

Nicolas  sat  down  beside  her.  "  I'll  try,"  he  said,  "  to 
tell  you  a  story." 

Their  voices  instinctively  fell  into  lower  tones.  "  What's 
it  about  !  "  she  said. 

"  About  a  little  boy  who  played  with  fire." 

"  Has  it  a  moral  ?  "  she  said,  pouting  absurdly. 

"  Yea  ...  all  good  stories  have  morals." 

"  But  I  don't  want  a  good  story." 

"  And  I  don't  know  any  bad  ones." 

"  Make  one  up,"  she  said  ;  "  or  I'll  ask  Girgis  to  tell  me 
one — he's  sure  to  know  lots." 

"  Don't  you  want  to  hear  what  became  of  the  bad  little 
boy  t  " 

"  Oh  !  was  the  boy  bad  !  "  her  face  mimicked  ezcitement. 

"  Yes,  very  bad." 

"  Then  that  will  do,"  she  said.  "  I  don't  mind  the 
story  being  good  if  the  boy  was  very  bad.  Why  was  he 
very  bad." 

"  Because  he  had  been  warned  not  to  play  with  fire." 

"  Who  had  warned  him  T  " 

"  A  lady  called  '  Experience.'  " 

"  Where  did  he  meet  her  ?  " 

"  When  he  was  idling  instead  of  working." 

"  What  did  she  say  to  him  ?  " 

"  That  if  he  played  with  fire  it  would  burn  him,  and 
it  would  hurt." 

"  Go  on,"  Nancy  said.     "  Did  the  boy  play  with  it  t  " 

"  At  first  there  wasn't  any  fire,"  he  said,  "  only  two 
tiny  sticks  ;  but  the  boy  knew  that  if  the  two  sticks  came 
too  close  together  there  would  be  fire,  but  he  couldn't 
resist  the  fun  of  making  just  little  tiny  sparks  and  flashes 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  157 

.  .  .  tiny  ones  at  first,  and  then  bigger  and  bigger  until 
they  burst  into  a  big  bright  flame,  and  then  he  couldn't 
stop  them  burning.  They  burnt  him  frightfully  and  hurt 
his  hands  horribly,  and  still  he  couldn't  help  holding  them  ; 
the  flame  fascinated  him  almost  more  than  the  pain 
hurt  .  .  ."  he  stopped. 

"  And  then  ?  "  Nancy  said. 

"  And  then  .  .  .  well  then  .  .  ."  he  said,  "  there  was 
nothing  more,  nothing  at  all,  except  the  awful  pain  and 
the  memory  of  all  that  the  lady  called  '  Experience '  had 
told  him." 

"  Do  you  think  that  little  boy  will  ever  play  with  fire 
again!  "  she  said. 

"  I  think  not,"  he  said  ;  "  he  sticks  so  hard  at  his  work 
now,  and  never  even  looks  at  matches." 

"  Do  you  know  the  little  boy  ?  "  she  said  gravely. 
"  I  am  his  most  intimate  friend." 
"  Should  I  like  him  ?  "  she  said. 
"  I  think  not,"  he  said,  "  he  is  too  grave  for  you." 
"  You  think,  like  Girgis,  that  I  am  only  '  sweet  to  the 
nostrils  like  orange  flowers.'  " 

He  laughed.     "  Did  Girgis  say  that  ?  " 
"  Yes,  and  much  more  ;  he  flirts  better  than  you." 
"  I  don't  flirt  at  all." 

"  And  you  will  not  introduce  me  to  the  little  boy  T  " 
He  shook  his  head. 

"  You  are  afraid  he  would  play  with  the  matches  again." 
"  Yes,  I  am  afraid."  He  looked  into  her  half-laughing 
eyes.  "  Yes,  I  am  afraid  ;  I  think  you  are  so  eager  for  fun 
tiiat  you  could  not  resist  tempting  the  little  boy  to  play 
with  the  matches,  and  I  think  that  you  are  so  clever  that 
you  would  drop  yours  before  they  burnt  your  fingers." 

"  You  think  I  am  heartless,"  she  said,  "  because  I  am 
not  always  serious  ?  " 

"  I  don't  think,"  he  said  ;  "  what  you  really  are  does 
not  signify  to  me  so  long  as  ..." 
"  Then  you  are  rude." 

"  It  is  better  to  be  rude  than  foolish,  in  my  case  at 
least." 

"  I  don't  think  so  ;  I  want  to  be  friends — we  are  almost 
brother  and  sister." 

He  laughed.     "  Oh  !  very  nearly." 
"  Well,  I'm  going  to  be  Stella's  sister-in-law." 
Nicolas  frowned.     "  Poor  Stella." 

"  Why  poor  Stella  !     Becauf  e  I  am  to  be  her  sister-in- 
law  ?  " 

"  No,"  he  said  quickly,  "  that  almost  reconciles  me  to 
it."     His  eyes  were  so  tender  that  Nancy  blushed. 


158  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

"  Then  why  poor  Stella  1  " 

"  Because  I  think  the  whole  thing's  a  mistake." 

Stella  and  Girgis  had  left  the  room,  and  Mrs.  Lekejian 
could  not  hear  them  speaking  from  where  she  sat. 

"  You  do  not  like  Vernon  ;  I  felt  that  the  first  night  I 
arrived." 

"  I  shouldn't  dislike  him  if  he  was  not  going  to  marry 
Stella." 

"  You  think  he  is  not  good  enough  for  her  ...  I  agree 
with  you."  Their  eyes  met :  Nancy's  laughing  ones  had 
become  dark  and  grave.  "  But  who  is  good  enough  for 
Stella  ?  interesting  enough,  I  mean  ?  " 

"  Vernon  could  be  if  he  did  not  think  himself  too  good." 

"  Oh,  you  surely  don't  think  he  does  !  "  Nancy  gave  a 
little  cry.  "  He's  horribly  narrow,  I  know,  and  has  an 
absurdly  narrow  outlook  upon  things  he's  unaccustomed  to, 
but  he  couldn't  think  he  was  too  good  for  Stella  .  .  . 
why,  he  used  to  tell  us  at  home  that  he  felt  ashamed  of 
himself  for  having  asked  her  to  marry  him." 

"  He  doesn't  think  that  since  he  came  out  here  ?  " 

"  Nicolas,"  Nancy  said,  very  seriously,  "  you  exaggerate 
all  that  sort  of  thing,  you  are  far  too  sensitive." 

"  I  have  learnt  my  lesson." 

"  But  surely,"  she  said,  "  it's  almost  as  narrow  of  you 
to  think  that  all  English  people  think  alike." 

"  Perhaps  it  is,"  he  said,  "  but  anyhow,  the  fact's  un- 
alterable." 

"  The  English  out  here  are  hateful,"  Nancy  said.  Tears 
had  filled  her  eyes,  for  Nicolas's  voice  was  lifeless. 

"  They  aren't  altogether  to  be  blamed,"  he  said  ;  "  some 
of  them  have  tried  to  be  friends  with  the  best  of  the  natives, 
but  they  get  disgusted  .  .  .  they  give  it  up." 

Nancy  was  silent.  Then  as  though  speaking  her 
thoughts  aloud,  she  said  :  "  The  mother  of  the  most  in- 
tellectual king  of  all  Egyptian  history  .  .  .  the  great  re- 
former who  lived  more  than  two  thousand  years  before  his 
time,  was  a  Syrian,  so  Stella  says  .  .  .  you  are  Syrians." 

"  A  despised  race,"  he  said,  "  because  we  have  the  busi- 
ness instincts  of  the  Jews  and  their  ability  to  outlast 
persecution." 

"  You  are  bitter." 

He  glanced  at  her.  "  Who  wouldn't  be  .  .  .  ?  "  He 
paused.  "  I  am  never  so  bitter  as  when  I'm  speaking  to 
you." 

"  Why  t  "  she  asked — "  why,  when  you  are  speaking 
to  me  of  all  people,  who  sees  no  barrier  between  your  race 
and  her  own — why  with  me,  Nicolas  1  " 

"  Because,"  he  said  slowly,  "  because,  as  Girgis  said, 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  159 

you  are  sweet  to  my  nostrils  as  a  wild  rose ;  that  is 
why." 

"  Oh,  now  you  flirt !  "  she  said  nervously,  "  but  Girgia 
said  '  orange  blossom.'  "  She  looked  at  him  mischievously. 
A  deep  flush  spread  over  her  neck  and  face  when  she  saw 
the  wound  her  words  had  inflicted. 

"  I  was  not  flirting,"  he  said  coldly  :  "  you  were  annoyed 
because  I  did  not  take  you  seriously,  and  now,  because  I 
betrayed  a  deeper  understanding  of  myself  to  you,  you 
turn  everything  into  banter." 

"  I  am  so  sorry,"  she  said,  "  but  I  thought  you  were 
teasing  me.  I  did  not  mean  to  hurt."  She  laid  her  soft 
fingers  on  his  wrist :  "  Don't  be  cross,  Nicolas." 

He  drew  his  hand  away  and  rose  from  his  seat.  "  Little 
English  rose,"  he  said  gently,  "  don't  prick  me  with  your 
thorns."  He  turned  and  left  her. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

THE  next  morning  the  glamour  of  Egypt  had  returned  ; 
for  all  that  had  been  barren  ugliness  was  now  turned,  by  the 
glory  of  Amon  Ra,  into  a  vision  of  magic  beauty.  They 
were  intoxicated  with  the  mere  joy  of  living.  Mrs.  Leke- 
jian  was  happy  in  seeing  her  two  children  almost  as  gay 
and  light-hearted  as  Nancy,  whose  bubbling  vitality  was 
so  magnetic  that  it  acted  like  an  intoxicant  upon  the  sensi- 
tive temperament  of  her  two  more  seriously  minded  com- 
panions. 

A  picnic  to  see  the  ruins  of  the  famous  labyrinth  and  the 
pyramid  of  Amen-em-hat  III.,  and  his  daughter  Ptah- 
nefert,  was  to  be  the  order  of  the  day.  They  lay  about 
five  miles  out,  in  the  desert,  from  the  town  of  Medinat-al 
Fayyum.  .  .  .  Girgis  was  to  ride  on  his  Arab  mare  while 
the  others  drove  in  his  comfortable  carriage  as  far  as 
the  good  roads  of  the  irrigated  country  would  allow  them. 
After  that  they  wore  to  pick  up  donkeys  and  ride  across 
the  roadless  desert.  It  was  necessary  for  them  first  to 
return  to  Medinat-al  Fayyum,  as  Girgis  had  to  attend  to 
some  business  in  the  town. 

Girgis  was  very  excited,  and  talked  often  about  a  portion 
of  the  drive  where,  he  assured  Nancy,  the  scenery  waa 
exactly  like  Scotland,  for  which  country  he  had  a  romantic 
admiration.  He  had  seen  pictures  of  Highland  scenery 
on  postcards. 

On  their  wa>  back  to  the  city  of  Al  Fayyum  the  scenery 
was  exactly  the  same  as  it  had  been  two  days  before,  for 
Egypt,  with  its  infinite  variety  of  light  and  shade  and  ita 


160  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

extraordinary  mixture  of  human  types,  is  in  its  essentials 
always  the  same :  its  procession  of  black-veiled  women, 
like  funeral  mourners,  never  draws  to  an  end  :  its  strings 
of  obstinate  buffaloes,  moving  slowly  through  the  desert 
sand,  never  alter  their  grudging  pace  ;  its  groups  of  nimble- 
footed  asses  carrying  stately  riders,  whoso  turbaned  heads 
bring  to  mind  the  prophet-law-givers  of  ancient  days, 
never  slacken  their  willing  trot ;  the  mud  villages,  with  low 
houses  and  high  pigeon-towers,  never  change  :  the  saints 
tombs,  with  white  domes  and  dark  palm  trees,  repeat 
themselves  with  the  same  unfailing  regularity. 

When  Girgis  reached  his  property  he  often  cantered 
away  across  the  country  on  his  exquisite  mare  ;  after  a 
little  while  he  would  be  back  at  their  side  again  and  ready 
to  tell  them  all  that  he  could  about  the  country.  Upon 
things  agricultural  he  was  a  walking  encyclopaedia  of 
information. 

The  third  time  he  bounded  off  Nancy  asked  Stella  if  he 
was  bored  by  riding  so  slowly  by  their  carriage  t 

Stella  smiled.  Oh,  no  ;  but  Girgis  is  a  very  level- 
headed young  man,  he  never  forgets  the  main  object  of 
an  Egyptian." 

Nancy  looked  at  her  with  questioning  eyes. 
"  Cotton,"  Stella  said  :  "  cotton  is  to  the  Egyptian  farmer 
what  wool  is  to  the  Australian." 

Stella  nodded  her  head  towards  the  richly  irrigated 
country  as  she  spoke.  "  Some  fellahin  are  ploughing  with 
camels  and  a  wooden  plough  over  there  .  .  .  can  you  see 
their  blue  galabeahs  and  the  camels'  heads  t  Girgis  is 
paying  them  a  surprise  visit  .  .  .  he's  going  to  see  how 
many  of  the  men  are  sleeping  instead  of  working  :  the  last 
time  he  left  us  the  sakiya  boy  was  playing  dominoes  with 
one  of  the  ploughmen,  and  the  ox-wheel  was  standing  still 
at  the  irrigation  well." 

Nancy's  practical  mind  had  a  respect  for  any  one  who 
could  so  admirably  combine  business  with  pleasure  as 
Girgis  did,  and  also  be  so  unfailingly  ornamental.  When 
he  returned  to  their  side  he  looked  very  stern. 

"  What's  the  matter,  E.G.  ! "  Nancy  asked.  (R.G. 
stood  for  "  Rameses  the  Great,"  which  had  been  her  pet 
name  for  him  from  the  first  day  she  met  him.)  "  How 
many  slaves  have  you  bastinadoed  t  How  many  hands 
have  you  cut  off  1  "  She  raised  herself  on  her  seat  and 
looked  across  his  mare's  neck.  "  Have  you  no  heads  to 
show  t  .  .  .  how  very  tame  !  .  .  ." 

"  I  should  very  much  have  enjoyed  cutting  off  two 
hands,"  he  said  sternly,  "  and  I  think  Lord  Minton  would 
have  thanked  me  if  I  had  sent  them  to  him."  He  muttered 


A  WIFE  OUT  OP  EGYPT  161 

something  in  Arab  which  Stella  recognised  as  a  popular 
native  curse  :  some  one  was  to  have  deformed  sons  and 
some  one  else  was  to  be  eaten  by  flies  and  his  wife  was  to 
be  barren. 

"Do  tell  us  what  has  happened,"  Nancy  said,  "  it  will 
help  to  entertain  us.  .  .  ." 

"  You  would  not  understand,"  he  said  ;  "  it  would  not 
interest  women." 

Stella  laughed.  "  Remember,  Girgis,  you  are  not  speak- 
ing to  native  women." 

"  Give  our  combined  intelligences  a  chance,  E.G.  ; 
Englishwomen  are  awfully  inquisitive." 

It  is  very  simple  to  you  " — he  addressed  Nicolas — "  you 
know  how  much  harm  late  berseem  crops  do  to  the  cotton 
crops,  and  how  much  I  have  done  to  try  to  prevent  the 
farmers  from  cutting  berseem  after  April ;  I  won't  allow 
any  berseem  to  be  sown  close  to  my  cotton  on  my  own  land 
at  any  time." 

"  I  think  even  Stella  knows  something  about  that.  Lord 
Minton  is  taking  very  strong  measures  to  stop  the  short- 
sightedness of  the  natives  in  that  respect,"  said  Nicolas. 
His  eyes  addressed  Nancy. 

"  I  don't  know  anything  about  it,"  she  said  simply, 
"  but  tell  me,  if  you  please."  She  laughed  as  she  used 
Girgis's  old  expression. 

"  During  the  early  stages  of  the  cotton-growing,  up  to 
the  end  of  June,  the  boll-worm  can  find  nothing  to  live 
upon  in  the  cotton  fields,  and  so  it  goes  to  the  berseem  crops 
and  puts  in  time  until  the  cotton  is  to  its  taste.  .  .  .  The 
natives  foolishly  plant  their  berseem  quite  close  up  to  the 
cotton  crop,  so  as  not  to  waste  any  land.  If  there  was 
no  berseem  for  their  worms  to  feed  upon  they  would  die  of 
starvation  and  want  of  moisture." 

"  Then  why  do  the  natives  plant  it  so  close  ?  Isn't 
cotton  far  more  valuable  than  berseem  t  " 

"  Yes,  much,  but  berseem  grows  quicker  and  so  gives  a 
ready  return  for  their  money.  Two  or  three  berseem  crops 
can  be  grown  in  one  season,  but  only  one  cotton  crop." 

Girgis  burst  in  :  "I  pay  nearly  all  the  working  expenses 
of  my  farm  off  berseem  and  other  light  crops  ;  my  cotton  is 
clear  profit." 

"  Then  why  doesn't  berseem  hurt  your  cotton  !  " 

"  Because  I  cut  my  last  crop  of  berseem  before  it  can 
hurt  the  cotton — the  boll-worm  does  not  do  its  work  so 
early  ;  and  I  never  keep  a  berseem  crop  standing  for  seed 
anywhere  near  my  cotton  crops,  or  water  it  after  a  certain 
date." 

"  I  see,"  Nancy  said.    "  But  why  should  the  natives 


162  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

be  such  fools  f  .  .  .  they  have  been  growing  cotton  ever 
since  the  Nile  ran  through  Egypt,  practically." 

"  The  poor  things  try  to  squeeze  in  another  crop," 
Nicolas  said,  "  because  of  their  greed  for  ready  money. 
The  greater  part  of  th«  small  growers  have  gambled  away 
their  cotton  crops  almost  as  soon  as  the  green  shoots  have 
shown  above  the  ground." 

"  Is  the  Berseem  Act  one  of  Lord  Minton's  reforms  t  " 
Stella  asked.  "  He  strikes  at  the  root  of  evils.  .  .  .  In- 
stead of  introducing  new  cottons  which  are  not  so  valuable 
as  the  old  ones,  how  much  wiser  to  make  it  illegal  to  cut 
berseem  and  sow  it  after  a  certain  date  !  " 

"  He  has  not  got  so  far  as  that  yet,"  Nicolas  said,  "  it 
is  not  illegal  ,  .  .  the  fellahin  wouldn't  stand  that  all  at 
once." 

Girgis  gave  his  mirthless  laugh.  "  He  is  much  wiser," 
he  said  ;  "  he  has  ordered  the  Muduirg  to  persuade  the 
fellahin  not  to  do  it." 

The  real  interpretation  of  the  word  persuade  was  not 
hard  to  guess  by  the  tone  of  Girgis' s  voice. 

"  How  do  you  persuade  your  men  !  "  Nancy  asked. 
"  Are  you  a  Mudir  f  " 

"  No,  I  am  not  a  Mudir — I  am  a  Christian." 

They  all  laughed  at  his  veiled  sarcasm  except  Nancy, 
who  did  not  understand  it. 

Mrs.  Lekejian  shook  her  head.     "  Oh,  Girgis  ,  Girgis  ! ' 
she  said  in  a  kindly  tone,  "  is  that  the  only  reason  why 
you  are  not  a  Mudir  1  " 

"  That  is  why  I  can  never  be  one,"  he  said,  "  while  Egypt 
is  governed  as  she  is  at  present,  yet  who  knows  !  .  .  ." 
his  eyes  gleamed  in  his  sun-browned  face  like  moving 
onyx  beads  ...  "  But  I  am  a  land-owner,  Miss  Nancy, 
and  when  I  let  a  small  piece  of  land  to  a  tenant  farmer 
last  year,  it  was  laid  down  in  the  agreement  that  no  berseem 
was  to  be  sown  within  a  certain  distance  from  the  cotton, 
after  a  certain  date,  and  that  no  crop  of  berseem  was  to 
stand  for  seed  after  a  certain  date." 

"  Well  1  "  Nancy  said. 

"  Well,"  Girgis  said,  "  that  contract  has  been  broken." 
He  looked  at  his  riding-whip  significantly.  ...  "  If  I  had 
done  what  I  should  have  liked  to  have  done  I  should  have 
sent  his  two  hands  to  Lord  Minton,  as  you  so  wisely  sug- 
gested." 

"  If  they  could  have  been  taught  by  the  cutting  off  of 
hands  they  would  surely  have  learnt  long  ago,"  Stella 
said. 

"  If  only  the  Prophet  had  laid  it  down  in  the  Koran," 
Nancy  said  ...  "It  seems  to  me  that  the  Koran  is  the 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  163 

only  thing  they  ever  will  obey  ;  a  new  and  enlarged  edition 
should  be  brought  out." 

"  You  think  they  obey  it,"  Stella  said,  "  but !  "  she 
shrugged  her  shoulders  ..."  well,  the  Prophet  forbade 
the  drinking  of  strong  wines,  but  he  did  not  mention  whisky 
and  liqueurs;  even  music  was  forbidden, yet  the  most  devout 
fellah  sings  whenever  he  gets  the  chance,  and  almost  every 
wealthy  Mohammedan  has  a  music  gallery  in  his  house  .  .  . 
and  so  with  dancing — they  adore  it,  and  it  was  most  strictly 
forbidden." 

"  On  the  old  caravan  roads,"  Nicolas  said,  "  you  often 
meet  strolling  singers  who  entertain  the  travellers  round 
the  camp  fires  at  night !  " 

Nancy's  eyes  sparkled.  "  How  I  should  love  to  get 
into  the  real  desert  life  !  I  want  dancers,  and  fortune- 
tellers, and  snake-charmers,  and  jugglers,  and  story-tellers, 
and  buffoons  in  their  proper  environment.  Can't  we  go  ?  " 

Mrs.  Lekejian  whispered  to  her  :  "  They  generally  become 
BO  improper,  my  dear,  that  if  you  understand  what  they 
are  saying  no  lady  can  bear  it :  that  is  why  they  were  put 
down  in  the  streets  of  Cairo.  The  people  love  lewd  jests 
and  low  fun  so  much  that  they  won't  pay  the  performers 
any  money  until  they  pass  all  bounds  of  decency." 

Girgis  had  left  them  again.  They  saw  him  riding  beside 
a  steam  plough  which  was  doing  its  work  in  its  rapid  modern 
way.  When  he  returned  he  told  Nicolas  the  time  it  took 
to  plough  an  acre  of  land  with  the  new  machine  compared 
to  doing  it  with  the  camel  and  wooden  plough  of  classic 
days.  Nancy  noticed  that  all  his  ploughix.g  was  not  done 
in  this  rapid  fashion. 

"  You  have  to  consider  the  fellahin,"  he  said.  "  What 
would  they  do  t  " 

Nancy's  eyes  softened  :  for  once  Girgis  had  shown  that 
he  was  human.  "  I  forgot  that,"  she  said.  "  What  would 
they  do  ?  Is  it  right  to  retard  progress  for  the  sake  of 
employing  human  beings  who  are  little  better  than 
animals  ?  " 

"  Socialists  would  solve  that  problem  in  their  own  way," 
Nicolas  said,  "  but  fortunately  Girgis  is  still  a  considerate 
master  rather  than  a  theoretical  reformer." 

They  had  left  the  agricultural  land  of  the  oasis,  with  its 
wide  roads  and  rich  green  crops,  and  were  descending  into 
a  rocky  valley,  hedged  on  either  side  by  a  beautiful  under- 
growth of  natural  wild  plants.  This  was  Girgis's  Scotland. 
In  Egypt,  greenness  and  luxurious  vegetation  always 
means  abundant  irrigation.  The  road  from  the  city  of 
Medinat-al  Fayyum  to  Lake  Moeris  was  one  of  the  wide 
roads  for  agricultural  transport  common  in  the  Fayyum, 


164  A  WIFE  OUT  OP  EGYPT 

go,  when  they  left  their  carriage  at  the  point  where  Girgis 
told  them  they  were  to  meet  their  donkeys,  a  new  experi- 
ence awaited  Nancy  ;  they  were  to  ride  across  the  roadless 
desert  to  the  pyramids  of  Hawara. 

Their  donkeys  were  splendid  animals,  and  the  best  and 
quietest  of  them  was  given  to  Nancy.  It  stood  as  high  as 
a  small  pony,  and  was  as  white  and  smooth  of  skin  as  her 
own  fiuede  glove.  On  its  breast  there  were  necklaces  of 
blue  beads  hanging,  with  silver  charms  and  amulets  of 
every  description,  cowrie  shells,  and  passages  from  the 
Koran  rolled  up  in  little  red  leather  cases,  and  lumps  of 
sacred  soil  from  Mecca.  The  ass  looked  like  a  beast  got 
up  for  an  Eastern  fancy  bazaar. 

Girgis,  with  Stella  and  her  mother,  led  the  way :  how 
Nancy  could  not  imagine,  for  in  her  eyes  the  desert  held 
as  few  landmarks  as  the  open  sea ;  but  they  never  seemed 
to  have  the  slightest  doubt  about  their  direction,  and  the 
donkeys  ambled  on  as  though  they  were  going  to  market 
with  native  women  on  their  backs.  But  Nancy  felt  very 
different  from  the  placid  native  women  who  grow  fat 
through  indolence  of  mind  and  Oriental  compliance  with 
the  will  of  Allah,  for  the  air  was  electric  and  her  senses 
were  intoxicated  with  the  spell  of  Egypt.  Everything 
she  had  ever  heard  or  read  about  the  desert  fled  from  her 
mind  at  the  actual  realisation  of  its  wonder,  and  she  was 
more  nearly  able  to  comprehend  the  infinity  of  God  than 
she  had  been  before.  In  the  desert  God  is  in  the  light 
and  in  the  silence,  He  is  the  Lord  of  the  Sweet  Wind  ; 
so  much  so  that  Nancy,  with  her  practical  mind  and  irre- 
pressible modernity,  felt  the  Mystery  of  the  Sublime.  In 
the  desert  man's  place  in  the  world  is  lost. 

Nicolas  did  not  disturb  the  reverie  into  which  his  usually 
talkative  and  amusing  companion  had  fallen.  He  was 
riding  a  few  steps  behind  her,  partly  for  the  pleasure  of 
watching  the  natural  grace  of  her  seat  in  the  saddle,  and 
partly  because  the  girl's  donkey  persisted  in  leading  the 
way.  She  looked  such  a  childish  figure  under  her  long 
veil  of  dark  blue,  which  she  wore  right  down  to  her  knees, 
that  Nicolas  longed  to  hold  her  in  his  arms  as  one  holds  a 
child  that  one  loves.  Nancy's  violet  eyes  could  not  bear 
the  fierce  glare  of  the  pitiless  sun  as  well  as  Stella's  dark 
ones,  which,  like  her  own,  had  long  been  accustomed  to 
the  half-light  of  England.  Stella  wore  a  green  gauze  veil 
only  half  as  thick  as  Nancy's.  Nicolas  and  Girgis  did  not 
ever  wear  blue  glasses.  To  Nancy  it  seemed  incredible 
that  any  mortal  eyes  could  bear  the  terrific  glare.  Besides, 
the  thick  veil  saved  her  fair  skin  from  the  hot  air,  which 
burnt  like  the  breath  of  an  oven.  Wearing  it  as  long  as 


A  WIFE   OUT  OF  EGYPT  165 

she  did,  right  down  to  her  knees,  prevented  flies  getting 
under  it,  and  as  it  flapped  about  it  created  a  little  draught. 

After  they  had  been  riding  for  some  time  in  the  intimaU 
revealing  silence,  little  towns  appeared  on  the  far  horizon, 
little  towns  with  white  minarets  and  green  palm  trees  ; 
and  evidently  there  was  water,  for  Nancy  could  see  the 
white  wings  of  sailing  boats,  like  birds  on  the  edge  of  the 
desert. 

"  I  had  no  idea,"  she  said  to  Nicolas,  "  there  were  so 
many  towns  in  the  real  desert  ;  I  thought  only  Bedouins  and 
various  sorts  of  tent-dwellers  lived  on  its  barren  waste 
away  from  the  Nile  .  .  .  but  there  must  be  water  there 
..."  she  was  nodding  towards  the  far-distant  town.  .  .  . 
"  What  are  we  coming  to  !  " 

Nicolas  smiled.  "  I'm  afraid  it  would  take  you  a  very 
long  time  to  come  to  that  city,"  he  said  ;  "  about  as  long 
as  it  took  the  boy  to  reach  the  end  of  the  rainbow,  where 
he  went  to  find  the  buried  treasure.  ...  I  doubt  if  any 
of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Medinat-al  Fayyum  have  ever 
been  any  nearer  to  it  than  we  are  now  ' 

"  Why  ?  Is  there  something  sacred  about  it  f  Is  it  a 
forbidden  city  t  The  Moslems  have  many  forbidden 
cities,  haven't  they  ?  " 

"  It's  a  city  forbidden  to  all  mortals." 

"  Do  explain  !  "  Nancy  said  impatiently.  "  What  do 
any  but  mortals  want  with  mosques  and  houses  and  boats  ? 
.  .  .  It's  growing  clearer  and  clearer — how  lovely  it  is  !  " 

"  No  mortal  has  ever  trodden  its  streets,  no  prayer  has 
ever  been  offered  up  by  human  lips  from  those  white 
mosques,  no  call  to  prayer  cried  from  those  minarets." 

Nancy  made  her  donkey  halt  until  Nicolas  was  by  her 
side  ;  her  questioning  eyes  met  his.  "  Do  you  understand, 
Miss  Hedge-rose,  do  you  realise  that  at  last  you  have  seen 
a  '  mirage  '  .  .  .  a  real  desert  mirage — that  that  city  over 
there  doesn't  exist  at  all." 

Nancy's  expression  was  one  of  wonder,  of  incredulity. 
"  Do  you  really  mean  it  f  Am  I  to  believe  that,  though 
we  both  see  them,  there  are  no  real  houses  over  there,  no 
water  with  boats  on  it,  no  palm  trees  !  " 

Nicolas  shook  his  head.     "  No,  none  at  all." 

"  Then  I  suppose,  you  will  be  saying  that  there  is  no 
me!  .  .  ." 

"  No,  I  won't,"  he  said,  "  though  I  often  try  to  wish 
there  wasn't  ...  do  you  know  why  I  "  He  put  his  hand 
on  the  pommel  of  her  saddle.  "  Of  course  you  know," 
he  said  a  little  bitterly,  "  though,  like  all  women,  you  will 
pretend  you  don't." 

"  Because  I  '  ra«  '  and  waste  your  time  !  " 


166  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

Her  eyes  were  not  turned  to  his,  and  through  her  dark 
veil  he  could  not  see  that  the  tint  of  her  cheeks  had  turned 
to  crimson. 

Nicolas  lifted  his  hand  from  her  saddle.  "  Yes,  sweet 
Nancy,  you  are  dangerously  real,  as  real  and  living  to  me 
every  minute  of  the  day  as  I  am  myself — even  when  we 
are  miles  apart.  You  are  far  more  real  than  that  great 
tomb  of  Amen-em-hat,  which  was  placed  there  two  thou- 
sand years  before  Christ  introduced  His  strange  theories 
into  the  East  and  gave  the  world  a  new  religion  to  fight 
over,  a  Saviour  to  die  for,  and  new  ideals  to  live  for."  He 
paused  ...  "  Behind  it  lie  the  ruins  of  the  famous 
Labyrinth." 

Nicolas  had  spoken  of  these  things  to  detract  from  the 
embarrassment  his  first  words  might  have  caused  .  .  . 
he  was  angry  with  himself  for  having  allowed  his  feelings 
to  unbridle  his  tongue — 

"  What  is  the  Labyrinth  t  Stella  talked  about  it  last 
night  as  though  I  ought  to  understand  all  about  it." 

"  The  Labyrinth  is  the  name  given  to  the  huge  city 
which  grew  up  round  the  pyramid  of  Hawara,  while  the 
king  (Amen-em-hat  III.)  was  building  it  for  his  own  tomb 
when  he  was  dead  .  .  .  these  pyramids  took  so  long  to 
build  and  decorate  that  cities  used  to  grow  up  around 
them  during  their  construction.  They  died  away  when 
the  king  was  buried,  and  another  city  grew  up  round  the 
next  pyramid  that  the  new  king  was  having  raised  for 
himself." 

"  I  see,"  Nancy  said,  but  she  spoke  absently,  for  her 
eyes  were  once  more  on  the  mirage.  "  I  never  imagined 
mirages  were  things  that  every  one  could  see  at  the  same 
time,"  she  said  dreamily.  "  I  thought  they  wore  optical 
delusions  which  highly  sensitive  and  imaginative  people 
saw  .  .  .  but  you  see  that  town,  and  I  see  it,  and  I  sup- 
pose all  the  others  see  it  t  " 

Nicolas  laughed  at  her  consternation  over  the  unreal. 
"  And  it  doesn't  exist  after  all !  ...  it  really  doesn't ; 
it's  like  our  happiness,"  he  said  reflectively. 

"  Oh,  don't  say  that !  Happiness  is  real  when  you  feel 
like  this — aren't  you  happy  this  morning  t  " 

"  Yes,  just  now,  too  happy,"  he  said,  and  his  eyes  told 
her  the  reason  why  ..."  but  will  it  last,  like  the  kind's 
tomb,  or  will  it  fade  away  when  the  sun  goes  down  like 
your  mirage  city  ?  "  Something  in  his  voice  conveyed 
more  than  his  words. 

"  If  happiness  lasted  for  ever  I  suppose  we  should  get 
awfully  sick  of  it." 

"  Perhaps   you're  right :   unhappiness   is  like  rain,   it 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  167 

noftens  humanity.  .  .  .  People  who  have  never  known 
real  happiness  can't  sympathise  with  a  girl  like  you  who 
can  be  happy  through  the  mere  joy  of  living — isn't  that  so  !  " 

"  Yes,  but  I  really  believe  that  for  ordinary  mortals 
there  is  more  danger  in  too  much  happiness  than  in  too 
much  suffering." 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  even  you  must  have  suffered  ! 
Yet  who  would  have  imagined  it  ?  But  then  you  are 
amazingly  sensible  too,  and  you  don't  look  it.  He  laughed 
affectionately. 

"  I  don't  know  what  I  look,  but  I  feel  a  walking  monu- 
ment of  common,  everyday  sense.  .  .  .  I'm  not  a  bit 
temperamental.  ...  I  think  that's  the  word  used  nowa- 
days, isn't  it,  to  express  people  like  Stella  ?  I'm  so  sanely 
ordinary  beside  her,  when  I'm  old  and  fat  I  shall  be  dread- 
ful." 

"  Why  should  you  ever  be  f  at  ?  "  Nicolas  made  no 
flattering  rejoinder. 

"  Because  the  women  of  our  family  grow  fat,  the  men 
stay  thin  .  .  .  we're  like  the  hedge-roses  truly  enough  : 
when  the  bloom  goes  off  we  turn  into  round,  red,  prosaic 
food  for  the  birds.  ...  I  shall  be  absolutely  commonplace 
both  in  mind  and  appearance,  not  one  scrap  different  from 
all  the  other  little  round,  red-faced  women  who  knock 
the  bottom  out  of  the  most  charming  illusions  by  their 
bump  of  common  sense." 

"  It  was  I  who  knocked  the  bottom  out  of  your  desert 
city,  wasn't  it  t  Will  you  forgive  me  ?  " 

Nancy  laughed  as  her  beast  bore  her  swiftly  away  from 
her  companion's  side  ;  it  was  a  gentle  beast,  with  nice 
manners,  but  it  did  not  like  being  passed,  and  Nicolas's 
donkey  had  been  trying  to  gain  the  lead.  "  You're  yet 
got  to  prove  that  your  words  are  true,"  she  called  put  ; 

anyhow,  I'm  not  going  to  let  the  mirage  of  my  happiness 
fade  away  at  sunset." 

After  a  good  long  scamper  across  the  open  desert  her 
donkey  halted  abruptly  in  front  of  a  native  hut  whose 
amall  windows  were  jealously  guarded  with  wooden  blinds 
to  keep  out  the  sun.  The  door  was  shut,  to  exclude  the 
hot  air  ;  but  the  moment  the  animal  stopped  it  was  opened 
and  a  stately  Arab  salaamed  in  front  of  Nancy. 
Nancy  had  not  been  aware  of  the  tremendous  tempera- 
ture they  had  been  riding  in — for  the  dry  heat  of  the  desert 
is  curiously  deceptive — until  she  entered  the  cool  hut, 
whose  gracious  shade  and  air  of  spotless  cleanliness  made 
it  seem  an  earthly  paradise.  The  Arab  servant,  whose 
beautifully  rolled  turban  and  long  grey  silk  robe  endowed 
him  with  the  air  and  dignity  of  an  Old  Testament  prophet, 


168  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

helped  her  to  dismount ;  he  next  relieved  her  of  her  veil  and 
riding-gloves. 

With  a  sigh  of  content  she  looked  round  her  and  in- 
spected the  building :  the  one  large  room,  with  its  mud 
floor  and  mud  walls,  seemed  as  cool  as  an  ice-house  ; 
pleasant  streaks  of  desert  light  strayed  into  it  through  the 
wide  ribs  of  the  wooden  shutters,  but  the  chief  delight  was 
the  total  absence  of  flies.  Since  sunrise  the  windows  had 
been  carefully  closed,  and  so  had  the  door.  During  the 
night  the  cool  air  had  been  allowed  to  flow  in,  and  the  flies 
which  had  got  in  at  night  had  been  suffocated  in  the 
Keating's  powder  which  had  been  laid  for  them  all  round 
the  window-panes.  Their  corpses  had  been  buried  and 
put  out  of  sight  long  before  the  appearance  of  the  master 
and  his  guests. 

On  a  tressel  table  Nancy  saw  preparations  being  made 
for  an  appetising  lunch  ...  it  had  just  been  unpacked 
from  a  very  up-to-date  luncheon-baaket  whose  little  brass 
label  was  marked  "  Harrods."  When  she  saw  the  label 
she  could  not  help  smiling :  it  took  her  mind  back  so 
abruptly  to  scenes  far  different  from  her  present  surround- 
ings. Stella  was  in  the  hut  beside  her  before  the  smile 
the  label  had  called  up  had  faded  from  her  lips. 

"  Look,"  she  said,  "  at  the  modernity  of  R.G.  Your 
Pharaonic  cousin  has  had  his  lunch-basket  sent  out  from 
Harrods'.  His  riding-breeches  came  from  Thomas's,  his 
boots  from  Hook  and  Knowles,  and  here's  a  thermos  flask 
from  .  .  ." 

The  Arab  handed  it  to  her  politely  and  without  a  vestige 
of  a  smile  said  :  "  From  Amon-Ra,  sitt." 

"  What  does  he  mean  1  "  Nancy  asked. 

"  He  means  that  they  are  heat-giving,  like  the  great  Bun- 
god  Amon-Ra  .  .  ." 

"  Oh,  stop  about  the  ancient  gods  !  .  .  .  I  prefer  the 
gods  of  the  present  day,  there's  plenty  of  them  and  other 
things." 

Nicolas  held  up  a  jar  of  pate  de  foie  gras.  "  Things  like 
this,  for  instance,"  he  said.,  "  and  this  ..."  he  threw  a 
dessert  chocolate  across  the  table  for  her  to  catch,  "  and 
this,"  he  laid  a  glass  of  preserved  peaches  on  the  table  ; 
"  and  what  of  this  t  " — a  roast  chicken,  exquisitely  cool  in 
its  wrapping  of  green  leaves,  was  exhibited. 

"  I  didn't  know  I  was  so  hungry  or  so  greedy  until  I 
saw  these  delicacies,  did  you  t  Isn't  it  all  ripping  t  " 
She  turned  to  smile  upon  Girgis,  but  he  was  busy  outside 
the  hut  seeing  that  the  saddles  were  removed  from  the 
donkeys  before  the  beasts  took  their  midday  siesta.  The 
saddles  had  to  be  taken  out  of  the  sun,  or  they  would  be 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  169 

too  hot  to  sit  upon  later  on.  Nancy's  eyes  were  turned 
to  Nicolas  again  :  "  When  I  saw  this  basket  I  had  a  terriblo 
wave  of  depression  ;  it's  passing  off  now." 

"  Why  depression  ?  " 

"  That  label  called  up  all  sorts  of  boring  visions  in  my 
mind  ;  it  reminded  me  that  there  is  a  London  of  shops  and 
blouses  and  gowns  and  things."  She  sighed.  ..."  I'd 
love  to  live  in  the  desert  with  a  praying-mat  and  a  gullali 
for  ever." 

"  I  wonder  if  you  would  really  be  contented  to  live  in 
Egypt,  to  make  it  your  home,"  Stella  said.  Nicolas 
appeared  not  to  be  listening,  but  Nancy  felt  his  searching 
eyes  awaiting  her  answer. 

"  If  I  could  live  in  the  desert  for  half  the  year  I  should 
be  more  than  content,  and  the  other  half  in  Cairo  as  you  live, 
not  as  the  English  live.  ...  At  present  I  can't  imagine 
wanting  to  live  anywhere  for  always.  I'd  love  to  see 
the  very  latest  civilisations,  but  I  should  like  to  live  for 
four  years  in  Egypt  first  if  I  could  live  with  your  people." 

She  slipped  her  hand  into  Mrs.  Lekejian's.  "  Will  you 
adopt  me  when  Stella's  gone  ?  Let  me  be  your  little  black 
sheep  1  " 

Mrs.  Lekejian  patted  the  girl's  hand  affectionately. 
"  What  a  temptress  she  is.  What  are  we  to  do  when  you 
are  gone,  Nancy  t  You  keep  us  all  alive  :  you  seem  to  be 
a  part  of  our  life  already." 

"  You  darling  for  saying  that,  when  you  know  I'm  a 
perfect  plague  .  .  .  Nicolas  will  get  some  work  done  again, 
and  Mr.  Lekejian  will  grow  quite  old  for  want  of  teasing. 
But  I  suppose  you  will  have  to  leave  Cairo  soon."  She 
spoke  regretfully. 

Mrs.  Lekejian  looked  towards  Stella  :  "  So  much  depends 
upon  her  future  plans  :  if  Vernon  is  sent  home  I  suppose 
Bhe  will  want  to  go  too  " — in  speaking  of  home  Mrs.  Leke- 
jian always  referred  to  England.  "  We  had  thought  of 
going  this  summer  to  some  watering-place  near  Alexan- 
dria, and  Stella  had  some  idea  of  visiting  Syria  with 
Nicolas,  of  staying  on  the  slopes  of  Mount  Lebanon  for  the 
hot  summer  months  ;  but  Vernon  may  be  sent  home  on 
sick-leave  if  his  recovery  is  not  satisfactory,  then  I  don't 
suppose  she'd  want  to  go  to  Syria." 

Nancy  said,  "  I  suppose  not,"  though,  to  her  mind,  living 
on  the  slopes  of  Mount  Lebanon,  with  Nicolas  for  a  daily 
companion,  sounded  so  much  more  interesting  than  going 
back  to  England  with  Vernon,  that  her  words  dropped  out 
in  slow  wonder.  Something  kept  her  from  asking  why 
Vernon  did  not  marry  Stella  whenever  he  was  better  and 
<jo  with  her  to  Syria  if  he  could  get  sick-leave. 

1C 


170  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

Girgis  was  inwardly  delighted  that  his  picnic  was  prov- 
ing such  a  success  and  surprise  to  his  guests,  who  did 
ample  justice  to  the  good  things  he  had  ordered.  The 
whole  affair  was  such  &  striking  contrast  to  the  uncom- 
fortable tea  provided  by  his  aunt  two  days  before,  that 
Stella  and  Nancy  were  amazed  that  he  should  have  known 
how  to  do  all  these  things  so  well  and  yet  remain  contented 
with  his  aunt's  attempts  at  Western  habits. 

In  the  great  stretch  of  desert,  which  seemed  to  Nancy's 
untutored  eye  to  constitute  the  whole  world  as  she  looked 
out  upon  it  from  the  shade  of  the  cool  hut,  lay  the  tomb  of 
the  Pharaoh  whose  imperishable  work  laid  the  founda- 
tions of  the  wealth  of  the  oasis  city  of  this  day.  It  rose 
up  brown  and  stern  in  its  primitive  grandeur  against  the 
blue  Egyptian  sky. 

Nancy  nodded  to  Stella,  who  like  herself  was  looking 
at  two  Arabs  who  were  praying  on  two  circular  praying 
mats  of  plaited  straw  :  she  was  envying  them  their  com- 
plete surrender  to  god. 

Nancy  asked  Girgis  why  he  employed  Mohammedans 
when  he  was  such  a  jealous  Copt. 

"  I  make  no  difference,"  he  said.  "  I  employ  Copt  or 
Moslem  according  to  what  I  think  the  man  is  worth  .  .  . 
that  is  how  it  should  be  ;  but  I  do  not  give  all  my  best- 
paid  posts  to  Moslems." 

"  I  think  that  is  perfectly  fair,"  the  girl  said  eagerly  ; 
"  but  I  imagined  you  would  only  employ  Copts,  as  Mr. 
Lekejian  does." 

"  My  party  does  not  consider  a  man's  religion.  If  a  man 
is  better  for  the  religion  he  believes  in,  what  does  it  matter 
what  religion  it  is  1  We  do  not  let  religion  govern  our 
politics,  we  are  striving  for  the  betterment  of  Egypt  .  .  . 
that  is  the  great  thing.  ...  But  I  am  not  very  pleased 
when  I  see  your  Government  giving  all  the  pensionable 
posts,  all  the  posts  which  uphold  the  dignity  of  the  people, 
to  the  Moslems  ;  I  wish  to  see  the  Christians  given  the  same 
chance  as  Moslems — that  is  all  I  ask.  This  can  never  be 
done  until  the  •  Independent  Egyptian  Party '  is  in 
power.  Which  is  representative  of  the  Coptic  community 
and  many  of  the  representative  and  wealthy  Moslems.  Its 
aim  is  Representative  Government  in  Egypt,  irrespective 
of  race  and  religion  .  .  .  but  I  go  farther  than  my  party 
.  .  .  they  are  too  slow." 

Girgis  said  the  last  words  with  an  unlovely  smile  curling 
his  scarlet  lips  and  showing  his  gleaming  teeth.  Mrs. 
Lekejian,  who  knew  her  nephew's  fanatical  views  upon 
political  subjects,  tried  to  divert  the  conversation — the 
picnic  was  not  to  be  spoilt  by  political  discussions. 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  171 

She  was  glad  when  the  two  Arabs,  who  had  finished  their 
prayers,  entered  the  hut  carrying  the  brass  tisht  and  ibreek 
for  washing  the  guests'  hands  after  meals. 

The  head  servant  stopped  at  the  side  of  Nancy  and  held 
the  basin  in  front  of  her — a  clean  towel  was  laid  across 
its  wide  brim.  When  she  put  out  her  hands  a  second 
servant  trickled  some  cold  water,  scented  with  attar-of- 
roses,  over  her  fingers  from  the  brass  ibreek,  whose  slender 
Bpout  was  as  gracefully  curved  as  the  neck  of  a  flamingo. 
The  water  ran  through  an  exquisitely  pierced  raised  recep- 
tacle which  acted  as  a  soap -dish,  at  the  same  time  hiding 
from  view  the  used  water.  In  this  way  the  next  guest 
did  not  see  the  water  his  neghbour  had  washed  in. 

"  If  this  isn't  the  very  essence  of  refinement  and  Oriental 
indulgence  !  "  Nancy  said.  "  I  do  wish  we  could  live  in  the 
desert  for  a  bit — couldn't  we  ^  " 

"  It's  almost  too  hot  now,"  Mrs.  Lekejian  said.  "  I 
was  afraid  to  let  you  ride  under  that  burning  sun  to- 
day." 

"  I  loved  it,"  Nancy  said.  "  I  didn't  feel  the  least 
hot — did  you,  Stella  ! — not  half  as  hot  as  you  do  in  a 
London  omnibus." 

In  spite  of  her  protest  the  two  girls  almost  shrank  back 
from  the  blast  of  hot  air  which  fanned  their  faces  as  they 
emerged  from  the  hut — it  was  like  the  air  of  a  furnace  ; 
and  the  sun  was  so  blinding  that  Nancy  had  to  drop  her 
veil  instantly.  Yet  Girgis  did  not  seem  to  be  aware  of  the 
difference,  his  thickly  lashed  eyes  never  flinched,  and  he 
wore  nothing  to  protect  the  back  of  his  head. 

Mrs.  Lekejian  decided  to  wait  in  the  rest-house  until 
the  party  picked  her  up  on  their  return  journey  from 
the  Labyrinth  and  the  tomb  of  Amen-em-hat,  so  Girgis 
had  the  bliss  of  Stella's  undivided  attention.  He  helped 
her  to  climb  the  pyramid,  while  Nicolas  assisted  Nancy.  It 
was  very  unlike  the  gigantic  efforts  in  climbing  which  have 
to  be  made  at  the  pyramids  of  Gizeh,  for  here  the  whole 
thing  was  built  of  small  bricks  made  of  sun-baked  mud, 
which  crumbled  to  pieces  under  their  leather -soled  boots, 
after  successfully  defying  the  elements  for  three  or  four 
thousand  years.  Girgis  had  been  finding  it  harder  and 
harder  to  content  himself  with  smiles  and  tender  looks 
from  his  cousin  ;  he  had  broken  out  once  or  twice  into 
rhapsodies  of  love,  but  as  they  were  generally  quotations 
from  Persian  or  Arabic  poems,  they  were  not  personal 
enough  to  deserve  censoring. 

At  last  words  escaped  him  which  he  had  meant  not  to 
say,  words  he  had  been  thinking  all  day  long,  for  he 
realised  that  Stella  was  gayest  and  happiest  now,  when 


172  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

Vernon  Thorpe  was  forgotten,  when  her  mind  was  occupied 
with  other  things. 

They  were  seated  on  the  ground.  Stella  was  letting 
the  hot  desert  sand  trickle  through  her  fingers  !  Girgis 
suddenly  grasped  her  wrist  with  his  firm  hand,  his  master- 
ful eyes  drew  hers  to  his.  "  Tell  me,  because  I  adore  and 
worship  you,  because  you  have  brought  into  my  heart  a 
higher  love  than  I  ever  understood  before,  a  love  which 
could  not  offend  your  pure  mind  if  you  could  reafd  it  all 
— why  do  you  not  desire  to  marry  your  English  lover  any 
more  ...  is  it  because  you  have  learnt  to  love  your  own 
people  too  much  t  Have  you  ceased  to  respect  the 
English  ?  " 

Stella  drew  her  hand  from  his  fierce  grasp.  "  Girgis, 
why  do  you  persist  in  saying  these  things  t  Of  course  I 
wish  to  marry  Vernon,  I  love  him  more  than  ever." 

"  That  is  what  you  wish  was  true,  but  is  not  true." 

Stella  felt  her  heart  beating  more  rapidly.  "  You  have 
no  right  to  say  such  things.  What  do  you  know  about 
my  feelings  ?  " 

"  I  know,"  he  said,  "  because  I  can  read  your  mind 
.  .  .  but  not  all  your  mind,  for  I  do  not  yet  understand 
why  your  passion  for  him  has  died  ...  if  you  loved  me 
that  would  explain  .  .  .  but  you  do  not  .  .  .  not  yet  .  .  ." 

"  I  never  shall,  Girgis  .  .  .  not  in  the  way  you  wish 
me  to,  not  in  the  way  a  woman  should  love  the  man  she 
marries." 

"  How  is  that  way,  if  you  please  1  " 

"  With  her  whole  heart  ;  she  should  feel  that  for  her 
there  is  only  one  man  whom  she  could  marry,  and  that 
man  is  the  man  she  loves." 

There  was  silence  for  a  little  time  and  then  he  said,  "  For- 
give me,  but  that  is  not  how  you  love,  Mr.  Thorpe,  and  yet 
you  are  willing  to  marry  him  .  .  .  you  are  marrying  him 
now  because  you  are  grateful  to  him  for  having  saved  your 
father's  fife — because  he  is  a  hero  ?  " 

Stella  smiled  rather  sadly,  but  did  not  answer. 

Girgis  waited  a  moment  or  two. 

"  Would  you  marry  me  if  I  were  a  hero  ?  " — he  paused 
as  though  thinking — "  if  I  did  something  for  Egypt  .  .  . 
very  great  .  .  .  would  you  marry  me  f  " 

"  I  am  going  to  marry  Vernon." 

"  Perhaps  not  t  " 

"  But  I  tell  you  I  am,  Girgis,  so  there  is  no  use  in  youi 
talking  so  childishly."  She  rose  to  her  feet  impatiently. 

Girgis  saw  that  she  was  annoyed  :  "  You  are  my  guest 
to-day,"  he  said,  "  and  I  did  not  mean  to  anger  you  ;  I 
have  tried  very  hard  not  to  speak  of  my  love,  but  '  out  oi 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  173 

the  fullness  of  the  heart  the  mouth  speaketh.'  Will  you 
forgive  me  T  I  only  live  for  the  sweetness  of  your  smiles." 
"  Dear  Girgis,  I  do  care  for  you  very,  very  much,  or  I 
tvould  not  forgive  you  ;  but  you  must  not  say  these  things 
again  if  you  wish  to  always  keep  my  affection — and  you 
don't  want  to  kill  it,  do  you  ?  " 

She  held  out  her  hand,  he  grasped  it  passionately  in  his. 
"  Kill  it  !  "  he  said,  "  I  will  make  it  grow  and  grow  until 
it  becomes  the  love  you  speak  of  ;  there  is  nothing  I  would 
not  do  for  you.  ...  I  would  die  the  worst  death,  and 
it  would  be  sweet,  for  your  sake  ;  to  do  you  the  smallest 
service  I  would  become  a  slave.  But  as  I  cannot  do  these 
things,  please  give  me  your  sympathy — I  have  found  no 
occasion  to  earn  your  gratitude  and  love." 

Stella  laughed  affectionately.  "  Live  for  me,  Girgis — 
that  will  be  of  much  more  use  and  far  nobler  than  dying  ; 
you  can  live  and  help  me  to  work  for  Egypt.  Do  everything 
that  lies  in  your  power  to  teach  the  people  self-respect ; 
teach  the  men  the  wisdom  of  granting  liberty  to  their 
wives  and  daughters,  the  wisdom  of  educating  them  so  that 
there  may  be  many  companionable  girls  in  Egypt,  like 
Nancy  and  myself,  for  men  like  you  to  associate  with  and 
marry.  .  .  ."  She  paused.  ...  "  Do  you  know  why 
you  love  me,  Girgis  f  Shall  I  tell  you  ?  It  is  because 
I  am  the  first  girl  you  have  ever  known  intimately  who 
is  a  companionable  human  being  ;  you  think  I  am  very 
wonderful  because  you  never  dreamt  that  there  were  such 
girls  as  Nancy  and  myself  :  but  we  aren't  a  bit  wonderful, 
there  are  hundreds  and  thousands  like  us  all  over  the 
world." 

"  God  has  only  made  one  Hadassah  Lekejian,"  he  said 
gravely,  "  as  He  has  only  made  it  possible  for  me  to  love 
one  woman." 

"  You  will  love  one  who  will  be  far  more  suited  to  bring 
you  happiness  than  I  am.  You  don't  know  what  you 
need  ;  you're  only  in  the  making  yet,  although  you  are  BO 
very  wise  over  many  things.  You  will  remember  what  I 
am  saying  now  some  day,  and  know  that  I  am  right." 

"  I  shall  always  remember  to-day,"  he  said,  "for  never 
before  have  I  been  so  much  alone  with  you  ;  and  I  shall 
remember  it  because  I  have  sworn  to  you  that  I  will 
accomplish  some  work  for  Egypt  ...  I  have  determined 
to  be  as  deserving  of  your  gratitude  as  Vernon  Thorpe." 

Stella  looked  at  him  with  gratitude  already  kindling  her 
eyes.  "  I  shall  be  very  proud  of  you." 

"  I  hope  so."  He  said  the  words  so  significantly  that 
hia  cousin  questioned  him  anxiously. 

"  It  will  be  work  done  in  my  own  way  and  according  to 


174  A  WIFE  OUT  OP  EGYPT 

my  own  ideas  .  .  ."  he  was  helping  her  to  mount  her 
donkey,  which  the  Arab  had  brought  to  them,  as  a  sign 
that  it  was  time  that  they  began  their  homeward  journey. 
.  .  .  Girgis  held  the  reins  in  his  hands  a  moment  before 
giving  them  to  her.  "  You  will  always  remember  that, 
whatever  sacrifice  I  may  make,  whatever  work  I  may  do, 
it  has  been  done  for  Egypt,  and  that  I  have  done  it  for 
Egypt  and  your  sake." 

Stella  could  not  look  at  his  burning  eyes  or  take  the 
reins  from  his  trembling  hands  without  realising  the 
terribleness  of  the  Oriental  passion  which  her  own  de- 
sirability as  a  woman  had  roused  in  her  hard-headed 
modern  cousin. 

Yet  with  her  pulses  unmoved  she  looked  into  his  burning 
eyes,  and  as  she  took  the  reins  into  her  own  hands  she  said, 
"  I  will  remember,  and  I  will  love  you  for  the  work  you  are 
going  to  do,  as  I  love  you  for  the  work  you  have  done." 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

To  the  Lekejian  household  the  visit  to  Al  Fayyum  was 
already  a  thing  of  the  past ;  they  were  busy  with  prepara- 
tions for  going  to  England.  Vernon  had  been  given  three 
months  sick-leave  owing  to  his  slow  recovery.  Since  their 
return  to  Cairo  none  of  the  family  had  seen  anything  of  Girgis 
Boutros.  In  his  parting  there  had  been  a  little  more 
intensity  of  feeling  than  Stella  thought  necessary  con- 
sidering that  it  was  likely  to  be  for  so  short  a  time  ;  she 
wondered  if  he  meant  to  absent  himself  from  their  society 
until  his  feeling  for  herself  had  become  more  platonic. 

Nicolas  appeared  to  be  very  much  engrossed  in  a  light 
opera  (on  Oriental  lines)  he  was  writing  in  collaboration 
with  a  Frenchman  who  had  been  his  greatest  chum  in 
Paris.  Since  their  ride  across  the  desert  to  the  tomb 
of  the  Great  Irrigator,  Amen-em-hat,  he  had  never  let 
one  word  escape  his  lips  which  Nancy  could  have  inter- 
preted as  meaning  more  than  the  most  ordinary  platonic 
friendship  might  allow,  while  in  every  way  in  her  power 
Nancy  had  tried  to  find  out  the  true  state  of  his  feelings  for 
herself.  Sometimes  she  was  convinced  he  was  putting 
great  restraint  upon  himself  and  that  the  words  he  had 
uttered  at  Al  Fayyum  were  spoken  out  of  the  fullness  of 
his  heart ;  that  in  the  desert,  the  elemental  man  gains  the 
upper  hand  of  the  conventional  man  of  the  world — in 
Nicolas's  case  a  man  who  was  obviously  determined  never 
to  cause  himself  suffering  again  at  the  hand  of  a  woman. 
At  other  times  she  was  equally  convinced  that  she  had 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  176 

put  too  much  meaning  into  his  Oriental  gift  of  flattery, 
that  he  cared  no  more  for  her  than  all  men  care  for  an 
attractive  girl  who  takes  the  trouble  o  make  herself 
amusing.  Sometimes  she  was  so  angry  with  his  impersonal 
manner  that  she  felt  worn  out  with  her  endeavours  to  upset 
his  self-control,  and  with  her  own  well-concealed  vexation. 
With  regard  to  her  feelings  for  Nicolas — she  was  only 
conscious  of  the  fact  that  his  good  or  bad  opinion  of  her 
mattered  far  too  much  for  her  peace  of  mind,  and  she  was 
in  a  constant  state  of  irritation  and  unhappiness  if  his  last 
word  or  attitude  towards  her  was  cynical  or  indifferent. 

On  their  last  day  of  sight -seeing  they  were  going  to  take 
part  in  the  popular  holiday  called  "  Shem-en-Neseem " 
or  "  The  Smelling  of  the  Zephyr,"  which  the  Cairenes  cele- 
brate on  the  Nile  and  in  the  semi-tropical  gardens  of  the 
Delta  Barrage  below  Cairo.  On  that  day  the  populace  of 
Cairo,  of  all  nationalities  and  creeds,  join  together  in  com- 
mon fellowship  to  "  smell  the  air."  It  is  observed  on  the 
first  day  of  the  Khamlseen,  when  hot  southerly  winds  are 
of  frequent  occurrence. 

On  the  morning  of  the  festival  of  the  Shem-en-Neseem, 
the  women  of  the  households  rise  very  early,  and  before 
doing  anything  else  they  take  an  onion  and  break  it  open 
and  smell  it.  In  the  course  of  the  day  thousands  of  the 
citizens  of  Cairo  ride  or  walk  into  the  country,  or,  what  is 
still  more  popular  if  they  can  afford  it,  go  by  steamer  or 
barge,  or  indeed  by  any  sort  of  river  craft,  to  the  garden 
of  the  barrage.  The  sight  on  the  river  is  exquisite,  for 
every  boat  is  decorated  with  palms,  and  flowers,  and  gay 
Egyptian  bunting.  Every  sort  of  musical  instrument 
is  heard,  from  the  classic  reed-pipe  of  the  Egyptian  to  the 
tink-tinking  of  the  Italian  mandoline  ;  and  extraordinary 
tunes  are  played  in  a  manner  beyond  recognition  on  Euro- 
pean brass  instruments  by  natives  on  board  chartered 
excursionist  steamers. 

Nicolas  was  with  them,  and  had  entered  wholeheartedly 
into  the  girls'  desire  to  see  all  that  there  was  to  be  seen  of 
the  picturesque  side  of  native  life  on  this  curious  holiday 
which,  unlike  most  festivals  in  a  Mohammedan  countryt 
the  Koran  had  not  originated  its  proceedings.  Here 
and  there  in  some  retired  spot  in  the  public  gardens  a  pious 
Moslem  was  chanting  a  passage  from  the  "  Excellent  Book  " 
to  some  elderly  friends,  and  once  Stella  and  Nicolas  were 
able  to  stand  by  and  listen  to  a  song  being  sung  in  the  old 
Arab  style.  It  was  in  praise  of  a  favourite  camel :  the 
effect  was  wonderfully  restful. 

The  old  Arab  songs  usually  extolled  the  praise  of  a 
tavourite  horse  or  camel,  the  glory  of  war  and  fighting,  the 


176  A  WIPE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

beauty  of  some  maiden  of  purely  legendary  renown  ;  modern 
Egyptian  songs  are,  alas  !  usually  about  love,  and,  as  Stella 
and  Nicolas  knew  only  too  well,  often  horribly  indecent  in 
character,  at  least  to  European  ears. 

On  their  journey  up  the  river  to  the  gardens  Nicolas  had 
had  an  experience  of  this  kind.  The  boat  was  crowded, 
and  they  had  been  fortunate  enough  to  secure  seats  in  the 
bows,  when  they  were  surrounded  by  a  crowd  of  holiday- 
makers,  girls,  women,  and  children  as  well  as  men,  of  every 
grade,  of  the  commerical  lower  classes  in  Cairo. 

The  Egyptian  boy  at  the  piston  pipe,  a  really  beauti- 
ful creature,  dressed  in  the  simplest  of  hot-weather  work- 
ing garments,  was  shouting  down  a  tube  from  the  top  deck 
his  orders  for  steering  to  another  of  the  ship's  hands  on  the 
lower  deck.  Nancy  saw  Stella  look  very  uncomfortable 
and  try  to  move  away.  Presently  she  saw  most  of  the 
women  and  men  smiling  with  good-natured  amusement  : 
something  was  happening  which  she  did  not  understand, 
and  all  the  while  the  boy's  orders  had  been  getting  louder 
and  louder.  As  his  language  grew  more  and  more  excited, 
the  people  laughed  more  openly  ;  then  suddenly  Nicolas, 
who  had  been  paying  for  their  tickets  and  getting 
change  from  the  steward,  appeared  on  the  scene,  and 
Nancy  thought  she  had  never  seen  a  face  so  altered  with 
rage  .  .  .  she  scarcely  knew  him.  For  the  first  time 
she  saw  the  demoniac  expression  of  hate  which  only  an 
Oriental  can  show  in  his  eyes  and  in  the  subtilty  of 
his  expression.  Up  till  now  she  had  only  seen  him  as  the 
gentle,  refined  dreamer  whose  perfect  manners  never 
tailed  him.  The  reason  for  his  rage  she  was  totally  at  a 
loss  to  discover,  even  when  he  put  his  arm  roughly  through 
his  sister's  and  drew  her  unresistingly  through  the  crowd 
of  holiday-makers  to  the  farthest  part  of  the  boat  from 
where  the  gesticulating  boy  stood  at  the  speaking-tube. 
Nancy  he  left  standing  in  blank  amazement  close  to  the 
boy's  elbow.  For  a  moment  she  felt  a  little  injured  that 
she,  was  left  there  quite  alone — as  a  rule  Nicolas  guarded 
her  as  though  she  would  break  in  pieces  if  she  were  roughly 
touched,  as  she  often  laughingly  told  him  ;  but  the  next 
moment  he  was  back  at  her  side  with  the  ras  of  the  ship, 
who  addressed  himself  to  the  unsuspecting  youth  by  kick- 
ing him  as  though  he  were  a  dog,  at  the  same  time  ex- 
pressing to  Nicolas  the  folly  of  his  objecting  to  the  boy's 
very  ordinary  language. 

As  Nicolas  drew  Nancy  away  to  where  his  sister  was 
seated,  she  asked  him  to  tell  her  what  was  the  matter,  but 
he  could  not  speak,  his  face  was  still  white  with  anger. 
When  Nancy  reached  Stella's  side  she  said  :  "  Do  tell  me 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  177 

tvhat  lias  happened  ?  Was  that  boy  rude  to  you  t  I 
didn't  see  him  do  anything  ?  He's  such  a  lovely  creature, 
surely  he  wasn't  rude  ?  Did  you  ever  see  such  a  perfect 
mouth  or  such  teeth  ?  What  has  happened  ?  " 

"  Unfortunately  I  understood  the  words  that  came 
out  of  his  mouth.  ...  So  I  do  not  think  it  so  lovely." 

"  Were  they  awful  ?  " 

Stella  shuddered.  "  I  want  to  forget  them.  .  .  .  Talk 
of  something  else.  .  .  .  Poor  Nicolas  !  " 

Nancy  was  silent  for  a  moment,  and  then  she  said 
meditatively.  "  And  all  these  Greek  and  Italian  girls  and 
these  tiny  children  understood  !  How  little  one  realises 
when  one  doesn't  know  the  language  !  " 

"  Every  one  of  them  understood  :  they're  accustomed  to 
it.  The  tiny  children  sing  revolting  songs.  .  .  ."  Stella 
sighed  :  "  That's  why  father  never  will  allow  me  to  go 
about  alone  when  I  first  came  out,  and  I  didn't  understand. 
.  .  .  He  hated  telling  me  ...  it  isn't  only  the  men,  it's 
every  one  ;  though  probably  that  boy  never  imagined  we 
understood  a  word  of  what  he  was  saying.  He  thought 
we  were  ordinary  tourists,  and  that's  the  way  he's  accus- 
tomed to  giving  orders  to  any  poor  creature  whom  he  thinks 
is  one  degree  below  him  in  his  official  capacity." 

When  Nicolas  returned  to  them  he  was  his  ordinary 
gentle  self  again  ;  but  for  the  rest  of  the  day  Nancy  under- 
stood why  he  was  so  careful  not  to  allow  Stella  or  herself 
to  listen  to  native  singers,  or  watch  the  amusing  antics  of 
buffoons,  until  he  had  himself  heard  the  nature  of  their 
performances.  The  effect  of  the  little  incident, — was 
curiously  far-reaching.  It  had  unsealed  a  door  for  her  in 
Nicolas's  nature.  She  understood  that  the  awful  passion 
she  had  seen  was  as  much  a  part  of  him  as  the  gentle  and 
refined  personality  she  was  accustomed  to,  yet  it  served 
rather  to  increase  her  respect  for  him  than  to  disgust  her. 
When  any  similar  thing  occurred,  Nancy  noticed  that 
Nicolas  always  hedged  himself  in  with  a  stronger  wall  of 
reserve  than  usual,  and  became  a  few  degrees  more  mis- 
anthropic in  his  attitude  towards  herself,  or  peculiarly 
cynical.  He  seemed  to  think  that  this  most  objectionable 
feature  of  the  Oriental  character  reflected  upon  himself. 
On  such  occasions  he  hated  the  East  with  a  deadly  hatred. 
What  right  had  he,  whose  mind  knew  the  minds  of  these 
men,  to  think  of  this  girl  as  ever  entering  into  his  inner- 
most life  ?  And  yet  there  were  occasions  when  he  loved 
the  East  as  only  an  Oriental  born  with  a  philosophical  turn 
of  mind  can  love  it  and  understand  it. 


(  178  ) 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

IN  a  native  cai'6  of  dishonourable  repute  in  a  lonely  suburb 
of  Cairo,  tbyee  young  men,  members  of  the  advanced 
Nationalist  party,  were  waiting  for  the  arrival  of  their 
fourth  companion  ;  they  had  met  together  to  discuss  their 
final  plans  for  the  assassination  of  the  Khedive,  Lord  Minton, 
and  the  Prime  Minister. 

Their  fourth  man  was  Girgis  Boutros  ! 

During  their  residence  in  Europe  as  students,  these  mis- 
taken young  Egyptian  patriots  had  become  non-believers, 
in  everything  except  their  own  ideas  as  to  the  proper 
governing  of  their  country.  They  felt  themselves  per- 
fectly capable  of  filling  any  one  of  the  posts  held  by  the 
great  personages  whom  they  were  conspiring  to  murder. 

Girgis  Boutros  had  only  recently  joined  them.  In  his 
ardent  desire  to  see  the  establishment  of  Representative 
Government  in  Egypt,  he  had  thrown  himself  unreservedly 
into  the  projects  of  the  most  active  of  the  advanced 
Nationalist  party.  Personal  matters  had  greatly  helped 
to  make  him  take  this  step,  a  step  which  naturally  pleased 
the  Nationalists,  who  were  delighted  to  have  a  man  of 
Girgis's  wealth  and  social  standing  aiding  their  cause  and 
schemes. 

His  natural  prejudice  against  the  British  had  for  months 
past  been  fanned  into  a  flaming  fire  by  what  he  chose 
to  term  personal  social  slights.  Certainly  since  he  had 
known  Vernon  Thorpe  there  had  been  many  occasions 
upon  which  he  had  been  submitted  to  petty  indignities  from 
the  British,  for  he  had  been  brought  into  closer  touch  with 
the  sporting  community  in  Cairo  than  ever  before,  and  over 
and  over  again  his  feelings  had  been  deeply  wounded. 

The  very  man  who  was  going  to  marry  his  adored  Ha- 
dassah,  his  own  first  cousin,  the  girl  who  always  treated 
him  with  the  affection  of  a  sister,  did  not  consider  him  fit 
to  enter  his  club. 

It  is  impossible  to  enumerate  the  petty  slights  he  re- 
ceived or  imagined  he  had  received  from  his  future  cousin 
by  marriage,  and  from  Vernon's  friends,  who  never  thought 
of  him  for  one  moment  as  anything  but  a  "  native,"  with 
whom,  of  course,  they  could  not  associate  on  terms  of 
equality. 

On  the  fatal  day  he  had  thrown  in  his  lot  with  the  assassins 
he  was  in  a  state  of  mind  which  rendered  him  not  wholly 
responsible  for  his  actions.  His  passion  for  Stella  had  been 
steadily  gaining  hold  of  his  senses.  He  had  been  fighting 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  179 

against  it  as  best  he  knew  how,  but  alas  !  it  was  not  a  very 
successful  fight,  for  the  Oriental  youth  is  not  taught  to 
restrain  himself  in  his  desires,  and  all  that  was  best  in 
Girgis,  as  well  as  all  that  belonged  to  the  vigour  of  his  full 
Oriental  manhood,  desired  and  hungered  for  the  sweetness 
of  Stella. 

He  loathed  Vernon  because  he  knew  Stella  considered 
him  superior  to  himself.  He  loathed  him  because  chance 
had  given  him  the  opportunity  of  figuring  as  a  hero  in  her 
eyes.  He  loathed  him  because  he  was  fair  while  he  him- 
self was  dark.  He  loathed  him  because  he  knew  that 
Vernon  cared  as  little  for  what  he,  Girgis  Boutros,  thought 
of  him  as  if  he  were  a  worm. 

Since  he  had  learnt  that  the  date  of  Stella's  marriage 
was  practically  fixed,  he  felt  that  he  had  nothing  left  to 
live  for.  His  plans  for  the  betterment  of  Egypt,  he 
imagined,  ould  best  be  furthered  by  offering  up  his  life  on 
the  altar  of  Nationalism.  By  dying  a  martyr's  death  he,  too, 
would  be  a  hero  in  his  beloved's  eyes,  for  in  the  future  she 
would  realise  the  blessings  his  party  had  conferred  upon 
her  country.  She  had  promised  to  love  him  if  he  worked 
for  Egypt — this  was  the  work  Fate  had  selected  for  him 
to  do. 

With  the  calm  philosophy  of  an  Oriental  he  faced  death 
fearlessly  ;  for  him  "  the  Land  which  loveth  silence  "  held 
no  dread,  and  he  knew  that  certain  death  awaited  him 
if  he  either  succeeded  or  failed  in  nis  attempt  to  commit 
the  deed  that  had  fallen  to  his  lot. 

The  thing  he  had  not  sufficient  courage  or  self-control 
to  do  was  to  go  on  living  and  making  the  best  of 
what  is  good  in  life  when  it  has  been  robbed  of  what 
is  sweetest. 

On  the  first  occasion  when  the  four  conspirators  met 
together,  at  the  tomb  of  their  hero  Wardani,  who  had  not 
long  since  assassinated  the  late  Prime  Minister,  they  did 
not  know  that  they  had  been  shadowed  by  native  detectives 
disguised  as  peasants. 

Although  the  eavesdroppers  could  not  hear  all  that 
was  said  on  that  occasion,  they  were  quite  certain  that 
this  meeting  was  of  vast  importance,  for  solemn  oaths 
were  taken,  and  the  two  leaders  were  w  jll  known  to  them 
by  sight  as  dangerous  members  of  the  Nationalist  party. 
They  never  lost  sight  of  these  four  young  men  for  one 
moment.  A  few  days  later,  when  one  of  them  went  to 
Alexandria  quite  suddenly  to  watch  the  goings  out  and 
comings  in  of  the  Premier  and  his  entourage,  he  was, 
though  he  did  not  suspect  it,  followed  the  whole  time  by  a 
letective  in  the  guise  of  a  donkey-boy  seeking  a  customer. 


180  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

Their  second  meeting  had  been  held  in  a  small  room 
in  a  cafd  in  Cairo.  Again  the  detectives — this  time  dressed 
as  well-off  young  Arabs  who  had  gone  to  the  cafe  to  indulge 
in  illegal  gambling  and  other  vices  which  appeal  to  the 
Oriental  mind — had  followed  them,  but  owing  to  the 
thickness  of  the  walls,  for  the  building  was  in  the  heart  of 
mediaeval  Cairo,  they  had  not  been  able  to  hear  much  of 
what  was  being  said. 

On  this  third  and  last  evening,  when  the  conspirators 
were  to  decide  upon  the  choice  of  explosives  to  be  used 
by  the  assassins  for  the  murder  of  the  Khedive  and  the 
Prime  Minister,  they  had  contrived  to  sit  next  to  their 
prey  during  the  long  tram  drive  which  conveyed  them  from 
the  city  to  the  desert  caf6.  When  they  got  out  of  the 
tram  they  waited  until  they  had  seen  their  victims  seat 
themselves  in  an  arbour  made  of  jasmine  and  oleander 
trees.  The  detectives,  who  were  again  dressed  as  simple 
fellahin,  took  up  their  position  just  outside  the  screen,  in 
a  dark  corner  which  went  well  with  their  humble  appear- 
ance. Here  they  could  hear  and  also  see,  if  they  put  their 
eyes  close  to  the  screen  of  green  foliage,  everything  that  was 
being  said  and  done,  without  themselves  being  seen — for 
they  had  no  lights  except  what  was  afforded  by  the  moon 
and  stars  in  the  clear  heavens. 

The  beauty  of  the  balmy  night  was  lost  upon  them, 
as  it  was  lost  upon  the  impatient  conspirators,  who,  as  the 
time  went  on  and  Girgis  did  not  appear,  grew  alarmed 
and  anxious.  The  detectives  noted  their  growing  concern. 

In  the  clear  heavens  the  stars  seemed  to  oscillate  until 
at  moments  they  hung  like  mosque-lamps  over  the  heads  of 
the  listeners,  who  had  ordered  cups  of  black  coffee  for  which 
they  paid  one  farthing  each.  When  the  soft  wind  moved 
the  jasmine  flowers,  their  sweet,  strong  scent,  so  dear  to 
native  nostrils,  drifted  through  the  air.  From  the  desert 
came  the  idle  notes  of  a  flute-player  who  was  sitting  cross- 
legged  on  the  sand  sending  across  the  desert,  at  his  sweet 
fancy,  bird -like  notes  from  his  long  reed  "  nay"  and, 
as  though  to  intensify  the  stillness  of  the  African  night 
the  sharp  barking  of  wolf-dogs,  which  Bedouin  farmers 
set  loose  at  night  to  guard  their  flocks  from  raiding  jackals, 
came  from  the  far  horizon. 

Inside  the  caf6,  on  a  raised  divan  near  the  door,  a  bearded 
Turk,  well  fed,  red-fezzed,  and  yellow-slippered,  lay  smoking 
his  "  hubble-bubble."  The  long  red  tube  of  his  pipe 
reached  from  the  floor  to  his  sensual  lips,  which  sleepily 
held  the  amber  mouthpiece.  The  occasional  "  hubble- 
bubble  "  which  the  water  made  in  the  enamelled  glass 
bowl  on  the  floor  showed  that  his  sleep  was  not  sound 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  181 

enough  to  prevent  him  enjoying  the  indulgence  in  his 
favourite  pastime. 

On  the  outer  floor  of  the  building  a  pipe-cleaner  sat 
plying  his  pitifully  paid  trade. 

The  inteiior  of  the  building,  which  stretched  a  consider- 
able way  back  into  the  desert,  was  full  of  all-night  gamblers 
and  hashish-smokers,  customers  who  had  business  to  trans- 
act or  pleasures  to  indulge  in  which  did  not  meet  the 
approval  of  the  city  police. 

In  Cairo  the  cola  or  midnight  call  to  prayer  was  being 
cli anted  from  the  royal  mosques  as  Girgis  Boutros,  on  his 
fleet-footed  mule,  rode  through  the  city.  On  his  unheeding 
ears  fell  the  beautiful  and  familiar  words  which  open  the 
midnight  prayer  as  well  as  the  call  at  sunrise. 

"  Prayer  is  better  than  sleep,  there  is  no  God  but  God  ; 
alone  He  hath  no  companion  ;  to  Him  belongeth  the 
dominion,  and  to  Him  belongeth  praise.  He  giveth  life 
and  causeth  death  ;  and  He  is  living  and  shall  never  die. 
In  His  hand  is  blessing  ;  and  He  is  almighty.  There  is 
no  Deity  but  God,  and  we  will  not  worship  any  beside  Him." 

As  this  call  is  not  an  obligatory  prayer,  it  was  only  here 
and  there  that  some  devout  figure  prostrated  itself  to  the 
ground  as  the  chant  from  the  throats  of  the  mueddins 
floated  out  to  the  sleeping  city. 

In  reposeful  cafe's  fat  Mussulmans  were  sleeping  on  the 
matted  floors,  rolled  up  in  white  shawls  like  children  ;  the 
less  satisfied  were  sitting  cross-legged,  smoking  their 
shibouks.  In  the  background  the  gay  colouring  of  the 
painted  pipe-racks  and  mirrors  caught  the  fitful  gleam  of 
dying  lamps.  In  the  silence  of  the  deserted  streets  Girgis 
could  have  enjoyed  the  majestic  beauty  of  the  mosques 
with  their  soaring  minarets  :  the  exquisite  effects  of  light 
and  shade  ;  but,  as  his  mule  bore  him  swiftly  past  Byzantine 
arches  and  Koran  schools,  he  had  no  eyes  for  beauty  and 
no  ears  for  prayer  :  he  was  oblivious  of  all  things  save 
the  immediate  necessity  of  joining  his  companions  in  the 
desert  cafe  as  quickly  as  possible. 

In  the  morning  he  had  seen  Nicolas  Lekejian,  who  had 
told  him  very  briefly  and  casually  that  Vernon  Thorpe  was 
going  back  to  England  in  Lord  Miuton's  private  suite, 
and  that  Stella  and  her  mother  were  preparing  to  leave  for 
England.  Nicolas  wondered  why  Girgis  had  suddenly 
left  him  instead  of  going  with  him,  as  he  had  promised,  to 
see  his  aunt  and  cousin. 

Since  the  moment  Nicolas  told  him  that  Vernon  Thorpe 
was  io  be  in  Lord  Minton's  party  on  his  journey  from  Cairo 
to  Alexandria,  he  had  thought  of  nothing  else.  He  was 


182  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

overwhelmed  with  the  knowledge  that  it  was  he,  GirgU 
Boutros,  who  must  kill  the  man  his  cousin  Hadassah  wa» 
going  to  marry ;  that  is  to  say,  if  he  carried  out  the  vow 
no  had  made  at  the  tomb  of  Wardani,  to  wreck  the  train 
which  conveyed  Lord  Minton  and  his  suite  to  Alexandria. 

Though  the  caf6  lay  some  miles  outside  the  city,  and  h« 
was  late  even  for  an  Oriental's  idea  of  punctuality,  he 
seemed  to  be  drawing  near  to  the  spot  all  too  quickly.  His 
mind  was  still  in  a  state  of  chaos,  his  determination  how 
to  act  all  unformed  ;  yet  he  dared  not  curb  the  pace  of  his 
beast,  and  instinctively  he  had  taken  the  shortest  route 
to  the  appointed  meeting-place.  Only  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
was  left,  and  not  one  idea  had  formed  itself  in  his  mind  of 
what  he  was  to  say  to  his  compatriots.  He  seemed  to  be 
riding  in  a  horrible  nightmare. 

As  in  a  mirage  he  saw  the  tomb  of  Wardani,  where  he 
and  his  companions  had  taken  the  oath  that  they  would 
assassinate  the  enemies  of  their  party ;  the  vision  moved 
before  him  with  extraordinary  vividness  as  his  beast  care- 
fully picked  its  way  over  stony  ground  and  through  heavy 
Band.  He  wished  that  it  was  he  himself  who  was  lying 
in  that  tomb,  that  it  was  he  who  had  done  that  great  deed 
for  his  country,  so  that  he  would  be  saved  doing  one  or 
other  of  two  deeds  which  his  soul  abhorred.  He  must 
either  revoke  his  bow  or  kill  the  man  whom  his  cousin 
was  going  to  marry  ! 


On  his  appearance  at  the  caf6  the  most  perfect  regard 
for  the  etiquette  of  friends  meeting  on  an  important  occa- 
sion was  indulged  in.  Girgis  was  then  offered  some  refresh- 
ment and  invited  to  be  seated  at  the  table,  which  held 
various  Oriental  pipes  and  cups  of  coffee.  But  Girgis 
remained  standing,  while  he  refused  all  forms  of  hos- 
pitality. 

The  eldest  of  the  party,  noticing  his  strange  aloofness 
and  the  very  evident  nervous  strain  under  which  he  was 
labouring,  asked  him  if  anything  of  importance  had  hap- 
pened to  cause  him  one  whole  hour's  delay  1 

"  Yes,"  Girgis  said,  "  something  which  is  of  grave  im- 
portance to  me  has  happened." 

The  -tone  of  his  voice  more  than  his  words  made  his 
companions  look  at  him  anxiously,  and  caused  the  eaves- 
droppers behind  the  jasmine  screen  to  strain  their  ears. 
After  Girgis's  significant  remark  they  had  to  strain  their 
eyes  as  well  as  their  ears,  for  the  conversation  between  tho 
conspirators  was  conducted  in  truly  Oriental  fashion. 
Much  was  expressed  that  was  not  said,  and  much  was  said 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  183 

that  had  to  be  gathered  from  involved  and  obscure  lan- 
guage. The  Eastern  saying  that  the  "  walls  have  ears  " 
is  accountable  perhaps  for  the  fact  that  Orientals  have 
from  time  immemorial  learnt  to  speak  and  give  orders 
without  using  words.  But  in  this  case  the  walls  had  eyes 
as  well  as  ears,  eyes  that  had  not  only  an  Oriental's  know- 
ledge of  a  language  without  words,  but  had  the  double 
eight  acquired  by  highly  trained  detectives. 

"  Will  you  kindly  explain  the  nature  of  your  informa- 
tion f  "  The  words  were  spoken  with  an  acidity  which 
showed  that  Girgis's  words  had  fallen  upon  subtle  ears, 
ears  quick  to  note  the  finest  inflection  of  voice  and  expres- 
sion of  speech. 

"  The  information  I  received  this  morning  which  detained 
me  to-night,  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  subject  we  have 
met  here  to  discuss,  except  as  regards  myself.  It  is  a  purely 
personal  matter  ;  but  it  affects  me  so  gravely  that  I  have 
come  here  to-night,  not  to  help  you  to  carry  out  your 
plans,  but  to  deliver  myself  up  into  your  hands." 

The  words  "  traitor,"  "  cursed  Christian,"  and  hisset 
passed  from  lip  to  lip.  The  three  men  closed  round  him. 

Girgis  felt  their  instant  distrust,  and  knew  the  reason  : 
he  was  a  Christian,  they  were  Mussulmans,  even  if  they  had 
renounced  their  faith  politically. 

"  I  wish  to  say  that  I  cannot  carry  out  the  deed  I  have 
vowed  to  perform." 

Obscene  curses  instantly  flew  from  the  lips  of  his  com- 
panions, foul  insults  were  hurled  at  the  Christian  dog 
they  had  always  known  him  to  be.  "  Death  to  the  re- 
voker  !  "  they  hissed  as  they  gripped  his  wrists  and  held 
them  in  their  grasp  like  those  of  an  arrested  pickpocket. 

But  it  was  only  for  one  moment.  With  the  fighting 
power  of  an  ancient  Pharaoh,  Girgis  flung  them  off  as  easily 
&a  though  their  restraining  grasp  had  been  from  the  hands 
of  delicate  girls.  "  I  will  allow  no  man  to  treat  me  as  a 
coward,"  he  said  ;  "  I  am  alone  and  unarmed,  and  at  your 
mercy." 

In  the  most  insulting  words  the  leader  of  the  party 
demanded  a  full  explanation  for  his  so  suddenly  revoking 
his  vows. 

"  I  must  refuse  to  give  my  reason,"  Girgis  said. 

"Then  let  me  recall  the  fact  to  your  memory  that 
1  death  '  is  the  penalty  to  bo  paid  by  any  one  of  the  party 
who  revokes  his  vow — you  agreed  to  that  very  necessary 
clause  in  our  agreement  at  Wardani's  tomb  ?  " 

"  I  have  not  forgotten  it,"  Girgis  said  solemnly ;  "  I 
Reserve  death  at  your  hands,  and  I  am  prepared  to  meet 
tuy  God." 


184  A  WIFE  OtJT  OF  EGYPT 

He  had  no  desire  to  break  the  vows  he  had  made.  Death 
meant  so  little  to  him,  since  the  sweetness  of  life  had  been 
denied  him,  that  he  accepted  the  fact  of  it  with  quiet 
approval. 

"  You  will  also  recollect  that  on  that  same  night,  at 
that  same  sacred  spot,  you  solemnly  swore,  by  the  blood  of 
our  beloved  hero,  who  gave  his  life  for  our  cause,  that  if 
by  any  chance  whatsoever  you  were  compelled  to  renounce 
the  part  you  vowed  to  undertake  in  the  affair,  you  would 
give  a  truthful  explanation  of  your  reason  for  withdrawing. 
The  sacredness  of  such  a  vow  may  mean  nothing  to  the 
son  of  a  black  camel,  but  if  you  persist  in  refusing  to  tell 
us  your  reason,  we  will  drag  it  from  you  as  the  secrets  of 
your  forefathers  were  dragged  from  their  lips  when  they 
renounced  their  faith  for  fear  of  bodily  torture,  and  were 
received  into  the  bosom  of  Allah." 

Remembering  that  such  a  vow  had  been  taken,  Girgi* 
determined  to  tell  them  the  truth  ;  but  first  he  cursed  them 
from  the  bitterness  of  his  heart. 

Out  of  the  fullness  of  his  native  tongue,  out  of  the  multi- 
plicity of  its  curses  and  oaths,  he  rent  them  in  pieces,  for 
he  realised  that  it  was  because  he  was  a  Christian  they  had 
instantly  denounced  him  as  a  traitor  and  treated  him  as 
a  thief.  He  had  seen  most  plainly  that,  in  spite  of  the 
persuasions  the  Moslems  had  offered  to  the  malcontent 
Copts,  they  would,  as  soon  as  self-government  was  estab- 
lished in  Egypt,  drive  them  out  of  the  land  and  rid  it  of 
every  native  Christian.  He  recognised  the  hatred  of  the 
man  who  is  born  a  Moslem  for  the  man  who  is  not  of  his 
faith.  These  feelings  flooded  his  brain  like  an  inrolling 
wave  dashing  its  full  force  against  a  harbour  wall.  His 
curses  had  scarcely  left  his  lips  before  he  said  :  "  If  there 
had  been  any  need  to  treat  me  as  a  prisoner  and  a  traitor 
I  would  not  have  come  here  to-night ;  but  as  I  swore  at  the 
tomb  of  Wardani  to  tell  you  the  reason  if  I  revoked  my 
vow,  I  will  do  so  now.  My  cousin,"  he  spoke  very  slowly, 
"is  going  to  marry  an  Englishman.  ...  I  have  just 
heard  that  he  is  to  be  in  the  train,  which  I  swore  to  wreck 
on  its  journey  to  Alexandria.  I  cannot  kill  him." 

Filthy  epithets  expressed  the  scorn  of  the  three  National  • 
ists  for  his  sentimental  reason,  but  the  listening  detectives 
felt  relieved  that  their  estimate  of  the  young  Copt's  charac- 
ter had  not  been  at  fault. 

"  And  you  wish  for  and  seem  proud  of  the  fact  that  this 
man,  who  belongs  to  the  cursed  race  who  rule  our  country, 
and  tax  our  people,  and  boast  of  their  inability  to  under- 
stand us,  speaking  of  Orientals  as  though  we  were  animals 
and  not  superior  human  beings  to  themselves — this  race 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  186 

Ivho,  while  boasting  that  they  cannot  understand  us,  yet 
wish  to  rule  us — this  race  of  bribe-receivers  and  seducers, 
who  despise  all  Orientals  and,  above  all,  all  Christian 
Orientals— this  is  the  race  you  are  pleased  and  proud  to 
annex  yourself  to  by  marriage — for  one  of  this  race  you 
are  willing  to  turn  renegade  to  your  party  and  sacrifice 
your  principles." 

"  I  do  not  wish  my  cousin  to  marry  this  Englishman," 
Girgis  said  hotly,  "  but  I  cannot  kill  him  ...  I  have  come 
here  to-night  to  ask  you  to  kill  me  and  find  a  substitute 
for  my  part  in  your  conspiracy." 

"  That  is  a  request  you  will  make  many  times  in  the 
course  of  the  next  few  weeks,"  the  leader  said.  "  Death 
will  seem  very  desirable  !  "  The  leader's  further  expres- 
sions were  too  disgusting  to  be  put  into  English.  What 
had  taken  place  during  this  eventful  half -hour  had  either 
been  expressed  in  a  form  of  language  which  is  wholly  un- 
translatable or  by  signs. 

At  a  sign  from  the  leader  a  move  was  made  by  the  party. 
Instantly  the  detectives  were  on  the  alert :  it  was  thek 
plan  to  close  in  upon  the  men  as  they  left  the  arbour,  which 
they  must  do  by  the  narrow  opening  in  the  oleander  hedge. 
Though  Girgis  protested  that  it  was  unnecessary,  he 
quietly  submitted  to  being  bound  before  going  with  hia 
companions  to  the  place  they  chose  for  his  concealment. 
It  would  be  some  hole  where  his  unclean  tongue  could  find 
no  chance  of  betraying  their  secrets. 

Even  had  he  desired  to  leave  them,  which  he  did  not, 
he  knew  that  the  attempt  to  do  so  would  be  useless,  for 
they  all  carried  firearms,  and  experience  had  told  him  that 
there  are  many  nameless  graves  in  the  desert  which  secret 
hands  have  dug. 

As  the  three  men  were  emerging  from  the  arbour  with 
Girgis  in  their  midst,  their  exit  was  blocked  by  six  fellahin  ! 
With  the  arrogance  shown  by  Egyptians  belonging  to 
the  better-off  classes  to  the  poor  who  treat  them  with  the 
slightest  sign  of  disrespect,  the  Nationalists  tried  to  thrust 
them  out  of  their  way.  To  their  intense  surprise  the  six 
follahin  covered  them  with  revolvers. 

"  You  are  charged  with  conspiring  to  murder  the  Khe- 
dive, the  Prime  Minister,  and  Lord  Minton.  We  therefore 
arrest  you  in  the  name  of  the  Khedive." 

In  the  scuffle  that  ensued  two  of  them  allowed  themselves 
to  be  handcuffed  tamely,  but  the  leader  of  the  party 
managed  to  draw  his  revolver  and  shoot  Girgis  Boutros,  for 
it  flashed  into  his  mind  that  the  Christian  dog  had  betrayed 
them,  that  his  coming  to  deliver  himself  up  into  their  hands 
had  only  been  part  of  his  well -laid  plot  to  trap  them. 


186  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

As  Girgia  sank  to  the  ground,  the  man  who  had  shot 
him  and  was  now  struggling  to  free  himself  from  the  grasp 
of  the  detectives,  spat  upon  his  upturned  face  and  kicked 
his  tarbush  off  his  head.  It  was  his  last  effort :  while  he  was 
insulting  the  wounded  man  he  felt  his  hands  caught  and 
his  wrists  forced  into  handcuffs.  His  companions  could 
not  assist  him  :  they  were  already  manacled. 

The  whole  affair  of  their  arrest  had  been  so  neatly  and 
quickly  effected  that  it  was  over  in  less  than  ten  minutes. 

The  pipe-cleaner  was  still  cleaning  his  master's  pipes 
for  the  next  day's  customers,  the  flute-player  was  still 
piping  his  liquid  tune,  when  the  prisoners  were  escorted 
from  the  cafe"  by  the  detectives  and  their  accomplices  who 
had  been  lying  in  wait  not  far  away. 

Before  the  first  pale  light  of  dawn  had  fallen  upon  the 
brooding  features  of  the  Sphinx,  or  the  stars  had  vanished 
from  the  heavens,  the  three  conspirators  were  safely  lodged 
in  gaol  and  Girgis  Boutros  was  in  the  Kasr-el-Hainy, 
the  city  hospital  of  Cairo. 

CHAPTER  XXV 

STELLA  was  seated  in  her  father's  garden  awaiting  the 
arrival  of  her  lover.  He  was  coming  to  lunch,  and  to 
spend  his  idly  midday  hours  with  her,  probably  the  last 
before  his  departure  for  England.  In  the  dark  pergola, 
where  only  glints  of  the  fierce  African  sun  could  penetrate 
the  thickness  of  the  luxuriant  foliage,  it  was  easy  to  forget 
the  heat  and  squalor  of  the  native  city,  with  its  plague  of 
flies,  and  the  sun-blazoned  side-paths  of  the  Esbekiya 
square,  where  natives  who  have  nothing  to  sell,  and  wish 
to  beg  from  the  wealthy  travellers,  lie  on  the  flagstones 
as  though  they  were  there  to  provide  the  homeless  with 
beds. 

Presently  Vernon  appeared  at  the  end  of  the  long  pergola. 
At  his  coming  Stella  rose  eagerly  from  her  seat  in  the  cen- 
tral kiosk,  where  iced  drinks  and  cool  fruits  were  tempt- 
ingly displayed  on  Persian  dishes  of  ancient  blue  enamel. 

But  her  steps  slackened  as  she  saw  the  expression  on 
her  lover's  face  !  He  carried  an  open  newspaper  crushed 
in  his  hand.  As  he  reached  her  he  threw  it  at  her  feet, 
saying,  "  Read  what  your  beautiful  cousin  has  done,  or 
rather  what  he  tried  to  do  !  " 

Too  taken  aback  to  feel  hurt  at  his  abrupt  and  unman- 
nerly greeting,  Stella  took  up  the  paper  with  shaking  hands  ; 
it  was  a  copy  of  the  Coptic  daily  paper,  the  "  Al  Watan," 
which,  for  the  benefit  of  its  foreign  subscribers,  has  the 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  187 

English  version  of  its  contents  printed  side  by  side  with  the 
Arabic. 

Where  Vernon's  hand  had  crushed  its  print  Stella  saw 
in  large  letters  the  words,  "  Attempted  assassination  of 
the  Khedive,  the  British  Agent,  and  the  Premier.  Con- 
spirators captured." 

A  little  further  down  she  read  the  names  of  the  four  men 
who  had  been  arrested  :  Girgis  Boutros  was  amongst  the 
number.  No  details  of  the  capture  were  given  beyond  the 
fact  that  the  editor  expressed  deep  regret  that  Girgis 
Boutros,  an  influential  and  highly  respected  young  Copt, 
had  intended  to  wreck  the  train  which  was  to  convey  Lord 
Minton  to  Alexandria  on  his  departure  from  Cairo  for 
England.  Nothing  was  said  of  his  renunciation  of  his 
vows,  or  of  the  serious  condition  in  which  he  now  lay  in 
the  city  hospital. 

With  a  cry  Stella  covered  her  face  with  her  hands  as 
though  to  blind  herself  to  her  misery  of  shame,  and,  turning 
her  back  on  her  lover,  she  flew  to  her  seat  at  the  end  of 
the  long  pergola.  Where,  in  an  attitude  of  hopeless  des- 
pair, she  flung  herself  down  on  her  knees  and  buried  her 
head  in  her  arms. 

Vernon  followed  her  slowly,  his  heart  not  softened  one 
bit  by  the  girl's  pitiful  weeping — the  girl  whom,  according 
to  his  fashion,  he  loved — for  he  was  conscious  of  one  thing 
only  at  that  moment — his  nature  knew  no  complicated 
emotions — his  intense  hatred  of  her  cousin  Girgis  Boutros, 
and  of  all  things  Egyptian.  The  idea  that  he  was  to  be 
connected  with  such  filthy  scum  of  the  earth  as  he  now 
considered  Girgis  was  revolting  to  his  senses  ;  everything 
that  was  English  in  him  rose  up  fiercely  against  it.  As  he 
came  closer  to  Stella  he  felt  for  the  first  time  that,  beautiful 
as  she  looked  even  in  her  misery,  she  belonged  to  a  people 
that  could  never  be  his,  that  in  her  desolation  she  herself 
was  actually  one  of  them.  He  could  not&toop  to  comfort 
her.  Why  was  she  not  filled  with  rage  and  anger  as  he 
was,  rather  than  with  distress  f  If  she  felt  one  particle 
of  sorrow  for  this  wretched  cousin  of  hers,  then  she  well 
deserved  all  the  humiliation  his  deed  would  undoubtedly 
bring  upon  her  family.  She  had  brought  the  disgrace 
upon  herself  by  having  allowed  the  intimacy  of  cousinship 
to  exist  between  them.  He  had  offered  to  cut  her  off 
for  ever  from  these  horrible  relations  when  he  had  first 
discovered  what  they  were  like,  and  she  had  emphatically 
refused  to  consent  to  his  wishes. 

When  her  weeping,  which,  in  its  intensity,  was  due  to 
the  overstrained  state  of  her  nerves,  had  abated,  Vernon 
said  coldly,  "  Now  perhaps  you  will  at  last  consent  to  leave 


188  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

these  connections  of  yours  and  live  in  England  .  .  .  will 
you  t  " 

His  last  two  words  were  spoken  with  a  little  more 
softness.  The  beauty  of  the  bowed  head  and  the  grace  of 
the  girl's  supple  figure  were  appealing  to  his  senses.  He 
expected  her  to  raise  tear-stained  eyes  to  his,  with  gratitude 
gleaming  through  them  like  sunshino  in  rain  ;  but  instead, 
to  his  utter  amazement,  she  sprang  to  her  feet  with  all 
the  swiftness  of  her  Eastern  inheritance,  and  faced  him 
with  blazing  eyes. 

"  How  dare  you  t  "  she  cried.  "  Oh  !  how  dare  you  f 
How  can  you,  at  this  moment  of  all  others,  when  I  must 
cling  to  my  people,  when  I  must  keep  the  promise  I  made 
to  Girgis !  He  has  done  this  thing  because  I  asked  him 
to  ...  Oh,  you  poor  boy !  .  .  .  You  poor,  wrong- 
headed  Girgis,  what  have  you  done  ?  Was  it  because  you 
wanted  to  be  a  hero  in  my  eyes  ?  Is  this  your  work  for 
Egypt  1  " 

"  Good  Christ !  "  Vernon  said  slowly,  "  so  you  are  in 
it  t  "  His  face  had  become  ashen  white  ..."  My  God  ! 
so  this  is  what  you  have  come  to  !  ...  la  this  how  you 
have  loved  me  T  " 

"  It  had  nothing  to  do  with  my  love  for  you  :  I  would 
have  given  my  life  for  you  as  you  offered  up  yours  to  save 
my  father."  Her  eyes  flung  a  new  defiance  at  him. 

"  For  the  sake  of  the  love  I  believed  in  once,"  he  cried, 
"  don't  lie  to  me,  if  you  and  your  cursed  race  are  capable 
of  speaking  the  truth  !  " 

The  full  significance  of  his  interpretation  of  her  words 
had  not  yet  dawned  on  Stella,  but,  maddened  into  Oriental 
passion  at  his  insulting  speech,  she  struggled  for  breath 
to  speak.  Her  English  upbringing  and  her  father's 
strength  of  will,  which  she  had  inherited,  helped  her  to 
address  her  lover  with  perfect  control  over  her  choice  of 
words,  although  her  voice  was  breathless  with  emotion. 
"  As  you  are  incapable  of  believing  that  we  can  speak  the 
truth,  there  is  no  use  in  my  trying  to  explain  to  you  why 
my  cousin  has  apparently  consented  to  do  this  deed.  You 
must  think  what  yon  choose  .  .  .  nothing  I  can  say  would 
alter  your  opinion.  .  .  .  You  naturally  imagine  that  it  is 
from  the  very  lowest  motive :  he  is  simply  a  murderer  in 
your  eyes." 

"  His  reason  is  quite  plain  :  you  have  already  explained 
it.  You  were  to  reward  him  by  giving  him  your  love.  I 
was  to  be  in  that  train,  and  he  knew  it !  From  an  English- 
man's point  of  view  he  is  nothing  more  or  less  than  a 
murderer,  though  he  may  choose  to  term  himself  a  political 
assassin." 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  189 

The  girl's  shriek  of  horrified  rage  rent  the  air ;  she  fell 
at  his  feet !  The  shame  of  his  thought  of  her  overwhelmed 
her.  "Oh,  God,  let  me  die  .  .  ."  she  moaned,  "if  you 
have  thought  this  thing,  if  you  have  believed  that  I  could 
love  the  man  who  would  willingly  have  killed  the  saviour 
of  my  father  !  " 

"  What  else  is  there  to  believe  ?  "  he  said.  "  Don't  play- 
act, Stella.  Girgis  has  been  arrested  for  conspiring  to  mur- 
der the  British  Agent  on  his  journey  to  Alexandria — you 
and  all  your  family  knew  that  I  was  going  to  be  in  his 
party,  and  you  yourself  have  confessed  that  you  promised 
to  love  your  cousin  when  the  deed  was  done." 

Something  very  like  hatred  gleamed  in  Stella's  eyes  for 
the  man  to  whom  she  had  given  her  first  love,  as  she 
said  very  cruelly :  "  Only  because  of  the  gratitude  I  shall 
always  feel  for  you,  and  nothing  more,  will  I  allow  myself 
to  deny  your  horrible  accusation.  ...  I  never  knew 
anything  about  this  hideous  crime  my  cousin  was  going 
to  commit,  and  I  do  not  believe  for  one  instant  that  he 
was  aware  of  the  fact  that  you  were  going  to  be  in  that 
train  .  .  .  how  could  he  have  known  ?  .  .  .  I  have  not 
seen  him.  .  .  .  When  I  told  you  that  he  had  done  this 
thing  for  my  sake,  I  meant  that  it  was  because  he  had 
promised  to  work  for  Egypt  to  please  me."  She  sighed. 
"  I  remember  now  he  said  it  would  be  work  done  in  his 
own  way  ;  and  this  is  what  he  meant." 

'*  Leaving  personal  matters  alone,"  he  said  coldly,  "  I 
am  afraid  you  cannot  alter  the  principal  facts  of  the  case, 
that  he  was  one  of  the  conspirators  who  have  been  arrested 
for  plotting  to  '  kill  the  enemies  of  their  country,'  as  they 
would  describe  their  brutal  murders." 

Stella  was  sitting  in  a  huddled  heap  on  the  gravel  path, 
but  she  did  not  raise  her  head.  "  If  you  would  only  try 
to  understand  !  "  she  said.  "  It  is  because  he  does  most 
sincerely  believe  that  these  men  in  the  service  of  the 
English  Government  are  the  enemies  of  his  country  that 
he  has  given  his  young  life  for  the  cause  :  these  patriots, 
as  they  unwisely  consider  themselves  to  be,  have  not  feared 
death — you  must  admit  that  1  I  asked  him  to  do  work  for 
Egypt,  to  prove  his  love  for  me.  I  said  I  would  love  him 
if  he  did — not  in  any  way  in  which,  as  your  faithful  wife,  I 
might  not  have  loved  him.  And  this  is  what  he  has  done, 
this  thing  which  you,  the  man  I  once  unquestioningly  loved 
and  promised  to  obey,  cannot  understand.  You  pride 
yourself  on  not  understanding  us,  you  rejoice  in  the  fact 
that  you  never  could  ;  I  fail  to  see  that  it  is  anything  to 
boast  of."  f 

"  You  are  quite  right,"  he  said  ;  "  I  don't  and  never  will 


190  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT; 

understand.  Thank  God,  treachery  is  not  a  character- 
istic of  the  English  race.  We  may  be  stupid  ...  I  know 
you  think  us  so,  but  we  are  even  by  your  race  considered 
trustworthy.  I  told  you  the  very  first  week  I  arrived  in 
this  hateful  place  that  it  was  best  for  you  to  get  out  of 
it,  to  cut  yourself  free  from  its  influence  and  from  the 
relations  who  were  nothing  to  you  at  that  time.  I  wanted 
you  to  remain  the  Englishwoman  I  thought  you  were  in 
every  respect  except  name." 

Stella  rose  to  her  feet  very  slowly :  there  was  something 
very  Eastern  in  her  movements,  as  she  looked  at  him 
with  unlovely  scorn  in  her  eyes  and  said :  "  You  see  I  am 
not,  and  never  was  an  Englishwoman  t  " 

"  Well,  Irish,  if  you  like,"  he  said  impatiently.  "  What 
does  it  matter  t  " 

"  Or  an  Irishwoman,"  she  said,  still  more  bitterly.  "  I 
am  a  Syrian  ;  I  belong  to  a  race  which  taught  the  Egyp- 
tians a  higher  civilisation  thousands  of  years  before  you 
and  your  island  barbarians  were  discovered  to  the  world. 
I  am  Hadassah  Lekejian,  Nicolas  Lekejian  the  Syrian's 
daughter,  and  I  should  be  far  more  ashamed  of  denying 
the  fact  or  of  leaving  my  people  because  the  man  I  loved 
scorned  them  than  of  having  caused  poor  Girgis  to  do 
this  mad  deed,  a  deed  he  attempted  to  do  from  a  sense 
of  duty  to  his  country  !  "  Her  voice  softened.  "  Are  you 
totally  incapable,  Vernon,  of  seeing  any  other  person's 
point  of  view  but  your  own — are  you  so  characteristically 
English  t  " 

"  With  women  seeing  things  from  other  points  of  view 
generally  means  '  condoning  the  deed.'  I'm  afraid  I 
can't."  Vernon's  eyes  were  as  cold  as  his  manner  was  un- 
loverlike,  but  he  was  more  than  a  little  surprised  when 
Stella,  upon  hearing  his  answer,  said  quite  firmly  : 

"  Then  let  this  be  good-bye  ;  I  will  never  see  you  again. 
I  have  forgotten  father  too  long,  I  must  go  to  him  .  .  . 
he  must  by  this  time  have  heard  more  than  the  papers 
tell  us."  As  she  spoke  she  quietly  took  the  ring  from  her 
finger,  which  he  had  placed  there  with  so  much  love  and 
tenderness,  and  held  it  out  to  him  :  "  Please  take  it  back," 
she  aaid,  "  I  need  not  wear  it  now." 

He  looked  at  the  emblem  of  their  engagement  vacantly 
for  one  moment — their  parting  had  come  as  an  overwhelm- 
ing shock  to  his  senses — as  it  lay  in  the  palm  of  his  hand. 
Its  almost  childish  size  struck  him  even  at  the  moment  as 
pathetic :  this  tall  girl  in  front  of  him,  whom  he  had  once 
sworn  to  cherish,  was  cast  in  such  delicate  lines  that  his 
•trong  manhood  suddenly  hungered  to  possess  her.  The 
next  moment  he  had  sent  the  ring  flying  through  the  air. 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  191 

As  it  fell  it  hit  the  wing  of  a  little  Cupid  who  had  been  in 
the  act  of  stringing  his  bow  on  the  top  of  an  old  stone 
pedestal  for  many  centuries.  When  he  turned  and  faced 
her  all  his  belief  in  the  treachery  she  must  have  inherited 
from  her  people  showed  itself  plainly  in  his  eyes.  His 
hands  were  dug  deep  in  his  pockets  :  he  would  not  trust 
himself  to  hold  hers.  "  Let  things  be  as  you  wish,"  he 
said  brutally;  "you  are  right:  this  had  better  be  good- 
bye if  there  is  to  be  nothing  more  between  us  ...  You 
wish  it  !  " 

"  Yes,  I  wish  it,"  she  said,  "  for  even  if  I  loved  you  as  I 
once  did,  I  would  not  allow  you  to  sacrifice  yourself  by 
marrying  me.  I  know  now  all  that  you  think  about  my 
people,  and  as  I  owe  you  an  unpayable  debt  for  having 
saved  my  father,  I  would  not  be  so  ungrateful.  .  .  ."  She 
straightened  herself,  as  though  to  gain  fresh  courage.  "  I 
must  go  to  him,  and  not  waste  time  :  this  will  almost  kill 
him."  Her  voice  shook  as  she  spoke.  "  I  can't  say  any 
more,  I  have  no  more  to  say  " — she  held  out  her  hand.  "  I 
only  beg  of  you,  go  home  to  England  and  forget  all  about 
me  and  my  people  ;  but  when  you  do  think  of  me,  don't 
be  harder  than  you  can  help  :  try  to  remember  that  you 
do  not  understand  or  wish  to  understand  the  character- 
istics of  the  people  whose  blood  is  in  my  veins." 

Vernon  did  not  take  her  outstretched  hand.  "  It  is 
horrible  to  part  like  this,"  he  said.  "  Have  you  quite 
forgotten  the  old  days  in  England,  when  nothing  of  all 
this  sort  of  thing  ever  entered  our  heads,  when  you  love 
me  so  truly,  or  so  I  imagined,  that  you  would  have  done 
anything  I  asked  of  you  ?  .  .  .  You  would  never  have  let 
any  one  come  before  me  then." 

"  I  was  a  girl  then,  and  girls  are  very  selfish  in  their 
love ;  now  I  am  a  woman,  and  no  self-respecting  woman 
should  let  herself  be  governed  in  all  things  by  the  man 
she  loves,  if  she  disapproves  of  the  demands  he  makea 
upon  her — that  sort  of  love  is  mere  slavery,  it  is  mere 
animal  passion.  ...  I  couldn't  do  the  things  you  ask, 
Vernon,  and  still  love  you." 

"  Yet  I  asked  so  little."  Vernon  spoke  in  the  past  tense, 
for,  unconsciously,  he  was  just  a  little  relieved  that  it  was 
Stella  herself  who  had  broken  off  their  engagement.  At 
the  same  time  he  could  not  bear  to  let  her  go  out  of  his 
life  with  this  feeling  of  bitterness  in  her  heart.  Her  beauty 
was  as  desirable  as  ever  in  his  eyes— it  was  maddening  to 
think  that  he  was  losing  it.  It  was  galling  to  his  pride 
that  she  could  surrender  him  so  easily — surrender  him  for 
the  horrible  natives  to  whom  she  considered  that  she  be- 
longed. 


192  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

"  You  asked  me  to  forsake  my  people  for  yours,  to  sink 
my  identity  in  yours  ;  for  you  take  no  interest  in  my  interests, 
and  never  tried  to — I  have  always  had  to  throw  myself 
into  yours.  You  wanted  me  to  make  the  social  world  to 
which  you  belong  forget  that  you  had  married  a  wife  out  of 
Egypt  ...  to  forget  it  where  any  stigma  might  be  attached 
to  the  fact.  In  places,  perhaps,  where  they  do  not  know  th« 
manner  in  which  the  English  treat  us  and  look  down  upon 
us  in  the  East,  it  might  have  added  a  touch  of  picturesque 
interest  to  your  household  if  you  had  said  '  My  wife  is  a 
Syrian  '  .  .  .  but  the  fact  would  have  to  be  talked  of  with 
discrimination.  .  .  ."  She  paused.  ..."  I'm  afraid  my 
woman's  understanding  of  the  respect  a  wife  should  have 
for  her  husband  has  not  stood  the  test  of  your  demands  in 
these  things." 

"  If  you  don't  love  me  it  is  best  to  say  good-bye ;  it 
takes  a  cleverer  chap  than  I  am  to  follow  all  that  you  wish 
your  words  to  imply."  He  spoke  impatiently. 

They  walked  in  silence  along  the  garden  path  where 
sun -birds  of  brilliant  plumage  were  darting  from  shrub 
to  shrub,  dipping  their  long  beaks  into  luscious  tree-floweri 
of  Eastern  splendour,  and  roses  of  every  hue. 

At  the  parting  of  their  ways  Stella  put  her  hand  on 
Vernon's  arm  :  there  was  pleading  in  her  touch.  "  Every- 
thing you  have  said  and  done  that  has  hurt  me  and  my 
people,  Vernon,  will  be  forgotten— everything  will  be  for- 
given .  .  even  your "...  she  hesitated,  "  even  your 
belief  in  my  treachery  towards  yourself.  We  will  always 
think  of  you  as  the  man  who  saved  my  father's  life.  .  .  ." 
Tears  filled  her  eyes.  "  Sometimes,  when  I  have  thought 
of  what  you  did  and  of  all  that  it  means  to  me,  I  could 
let  you  treat  me  as  your  slave.  I  could  willingly  obey 
your  most  unlovely  commands." 

The  next  moment  she  had  gone,  and  Vernon  was  left 
wondering ! 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

ON  her  way  to  her  father's  private  office,  Stella  met 
Nancy,  who,  the  moment  she  saw  her,  ran  to  her  and 
caught  her  by  the  arm  excitedly.  "  Oh,  Stella,  what 
is  the  matter  t  You  look  awful !  And  Nicolas  wouldn't 
even  speak  to  me  just  now  when  I  passed  him.  He 
was  looking  for  you.  Has  anything  very  terrible  hap- 
pened t  " 

Stella  pressed  the  girl's  hand  convulsively  in  hers.      '  Yes, 
something  awful  has  happened  :  but  let  me  go  to  father, 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  193 

...  I  can't  speak,  dear,  dou't  ask  me.  .  .  .  Where  is 
Nicolas  ?  Which  way  did  he  go  ?  " 

"  That  way,"  Nancy  said,  pointing  to  the  passage  which 
led  to  Mr.  Lekejiau's  office.  She  did  not  try  to  restrain 
Stella,  but  stood  lost  in  wonder  and  filled  with  a  miserable 
anxiety.  The  way  in  which  Nicolas  had  drawn  himself 
away  from  her,  as  though  he  was  suffering  from  some  in- 
fectious disease  which  might  harm  her,  had  made  her  think 
for  the  moment  that  some  plague  had  broken  out  in  the 
city,  and  that  he  had  been  in  close  contact  with  the  in- 
fected. But  the  awful  look  of  misery,  mixed  with  anger, 
which  his  eyes  expressed  when  she  implored  him  to  tell 
her  what  had  happened,  contradicted  that  impression  ; 
there  was  something  far  more  personal  and  tragic  in  it. 

Stella  fled  on,  regardless  of  Nancy's  discomfiture.  So 
Nancy  sat  herself  down  to  think  on  the  gnarled  root  of  the 
ancient  lebbek  tree,  whose  top  branches  reached  right  up 
to  the  exquisite  meshrebiya  work  which  had  served  as  a 
window-screen  for  the  women's  drawing-room  in  days  gone 
by. 

As  Stella  neared  her  father's  door  she  met  her  brother 
coming  to  it  from  the  opposite  direction.  Both  stopped 
instantly  and  looked  despairingly  at  each  other. 

"  Where  is  Vernon  ?  "  Nicolas  said.  "  I  thought  you 
were  with  him,  Stella  !  Does  he  know  ?  " 

"  He  has  gone,  we  have  parted  for  ever  !  How  is  father 
bearing  it  ?  Does  mother  know  ?  " 

Nicolas  put  his  arm  round  his  sister ;  she  drew  herself 
away. 

"  Please  don't,  dear.  I  want  all  my  courage  for  father. 
.  .  .  Vernon  doesn't  matter — I  mean  our  parting  doesn't. 
...  If  he  could  think  such  things  of  Girgis,  how  could  I 
marry  him  ?  " 

Nicolas  looked  at  her  in  amazement.  Was  she  in  ignor- 
ance of  the  depth  of  their  cousin's  villainy  ?  "  But  Stella, 
don't  you  know,  don't  you  understand,  haven't  you  realised 
what  Girgis  was  trying  to  do  ?"  he  shuddered. 

"  Yes,  of  course  I  do.  It  was  a  hideous  and  cruel  thing 
but  according  to  the  poor  boy's  lights  these  men  they  were 
plotting  to  kill  were  all  the  enemies  of  his  country  ;  that  is 
a  very  different  thing  from  trying  to  murder  his  cousin's 
lover  from  jealousy  ?  Vernon  imagined  that  Girgis  knew 
that  he  was  to  be  in  the  British  Agent's  party  !  " 

There  was  silence  for  a  moment,  then  Nicolas  said  very 
slowly  in  Arabic  :  "  He  did  know,  Stella.  .  .  .  God  have 
mercy  on  his  soul !  " 

Stella  suppressed  the  cry  that  sprang  to  her  lips  ;  she 
Jaught  her  brother  by  bis  shoulders  and  made  him  face 


194  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

her.  "  That  is  a  lie,  Nicolas.  Oh,  say  it  is  a  lie  !  Some 
one  has  dared  to  tell  you  that  lie  !  Have  you  seen  Girgis  t 
Did  he  tell  you  himself  1  I  won't  believe  this  hideous 
thing  until  he  himself  confesses  it :  he  couldn't  do  it,  I  know 
he  couldn't." 

Nicolas  took  her  two  hands  from  his  shoulder  and  held 
them  firmly  in  his  own.  "  Be  brave,  Stella,  and  face  tho 
horrible  truth.  Girgis  did  know — I  told  him  myself  !  I 
met  him  early  yesterday  morning.  I  told  him  that  we 
were  leaving  for  England,  and  that  Vernon  was  going 
home  in  Lord  Minton's  suito." 

Stella  did  not  speak.  With  bowed  head  she  held  her 
brother's  hands  passionately  in  hers  .  .  .  when  words  came 
she  said  :  "  And  I  loathed  Vernon  for  thinking  such  a 
thing  possible  " — she  spoke  as  though  she  was  visualising 
the  scene  which  had  just  passed  between  her  lover  and 
herself — "  and  it  was  true,  it  was  what  he  thought." 

She  looked  at  her  brother  with  a  face  so  stricken  and 
withered  with  shame  that  half  a  woman's  lifetime,  a  life- 
time of  suffering,  seemed  to  have  passed  over  it  in  the  last 
few  minutes. 

"  Girgis  must  have  been  mad,"  Nicolas  said.  "  He 
would  never  have  brought  this  shame  upon  us  in  his  nor- 
mal state  of  mind.  ...  He  has  ruined  your  happiness 
.  .  .  and  he  has  .  .  ." 

She  stopped  him  by  exclaiming  :  "  We  must  go  to  father 
.  .  .  will  you  find  mother  and  let  me  go  to  him  t  Mother 
went  out — I  think  to  Cook's." 

"  I'll  find  mother,"  Nicolas  said  ;  "she  may  not  know. 
Poor  mother  !  " 

When  Stella  opened  the  door  of  her  father's  office  her 
eyes  met  a  sight  which  she  would  never  fail  to  remember 
in  after  years — whatsoever  happiness  her  future  might 
bring  forth. 

In  the  ancient  Coptic  language  Nicolas  Lekejian  was 
praying  aloud  on  his  knees,  beside  his  business  desk  ;  his 
head  was  buried  so  despairingly  in  his  arms  that  only  his 
red  fez  could  be  seen.  Stella  went  silently  up  to  him,  and, 
slipping  down  on  her  knees  by  his  side,  put  her  arms  across 
his  shoulder  and  joined  in  his  prayers.  Her  touch  made 
him  turn  his  head  and  look  at  her. 

*'  Hadassah  !  "  he  cried,  "  Hadassah  !  "  In  a  moment 
his  arms  were  open  and  his  child  was  in  them. 

"  Hold  me  closer,  father  darling,  hold  me  far  closer  ; 
never  let  me  go  ;  let  me  stay  with  you  always  ! ' 

The  tears  that  fell  from  his  eyes  tasted  salt  to  hei 
lips. 

"  Don't  cry,  father ;  don't  let  this  make  you  ill  again. 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  195 

Girgis  loves  you  ;  he  must  have  been  mad  ;  you  must  for- 
give him." 

"  God  in  His  mercy  forgive  him,"  Nicolas  Lekejian  said, 
"for  the  shame  he  has  brought  on  my  household."  As 
he  spoke  he  rose  from  his  knees,  and,  seating  himself  in  his 
business  chair,  he  held  out  his  arm  for  his  daughter  to  seat 
herself  on  his  knee.  Never  since  she  was  a  little  child 
had  his  beautiful  Hadassah  seemed  so  near  to  him.  The 
tender  affection  he  had  given  her  as  an  infant  he  bestowed 
upon  her  now,  the  old  pet-names  came  instinctively  to  his 
lips  ;  out  of  the  well  of  anguish  that  he  felt  for  her,  the 
waters  of  healing  were  poured  forth  abundantly  ;  broken 
sentences  of  sympathy,  fearful  words  of  inquiry  dropped 
from  his  lips.  "  When  was  she  to  see  Vernon  ?  Would 
she  like  her  father  to  see  him  first  and  spare  her  all  that  he 
could  1  His  little  Hadassah,  his  pearl  among  daughters, 
the  precious  jewel  of  his  bosom  !  " 

With  her  two  hands  Stella  raised  his  face  to  hers,  and 
looking  into  his  eyes  she  said  :  "  Father,  I  will  tell  you 
something  that  will  lessen  your  sorrow  for  me  a  little." 

"  What  is  that,  my  daughter  ?  " 

"  I  have  seen  Vernon  this  morning.  I  have  broken  off 
our  engagement."  In  an  agony  of  sympathy  for  his  child 
the  old  man  crushed  the  girl's  hands  in  his  .  .  .  but  she 
went  on  unheedingly  ..."  I  would  have  married  him 
before  this  happened  if  he  had  wished  me  to  ...  because 
he  saved  your  life.  .  .  ."  She  bent  her  lips  impulsively  to 
his  and  kissed  him.  ..."  Oh,  dearest,  if  we  had  lost 
you!  .  .  ."  She  shut  her  eyes,  and  trembled  at  the  misery 
the  idea  conveyed.  .  .  ."  What  should  we  have  done  ?  .  .  . 
I  would  have  married  him,  but  I  did  not  love  him — it  would 
have  been  from  gratitude.  It  would  have  been  for  want 
of  courage  to  tell  the  man  who  saved  you  for  us  that  I  did 
not  love  him." 

"  Hadassah ! "  Her  father's  voice  evinced  absolute 
consternation.  "  You  did  not  love  Vernon  !  " 

"  No,  father,  not  any  more  ;  I  once  did  .  .  ."  she  sighed. 
"  but  that  sort  of  love  seems  to  belong  to  years  and  years 
ago.  I'm  different  now." 

"  Does  your  mother  know  !  "  he  asked.  "  She  is  out 
this  morning — has  she  returned  ?  Have  you  told  her 
this  t  " 

"  She  doesn't  know  that  my  feelings  for  Vernon  have 
changed.  ...  I  didn't  want  any  one  to  know.  .  .  .  But 
now  that  this  has  happened  !  "  she  shuddered. 

"  Are  Vernon's  feelings  the  same  for  you  ?  "  Nicolap 
Lekejian  groaned.  ..."  How  did  he  take  this  horribk 
news  t " 


196  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

Stella  felt  by  the  maniur  in  which  her  father  spoke  that 
he  did  not  know  that  her  cousin  had  heard  of  Vernon's  plans 
for  travelling  in  the  British  Agent's  suite.  A  great  wave 
of  hope  and  longing  came  to  her  that  he  might  never 
know.  If  only  by  some  miracle  it  could  be  kept  from 
him,  one  drop  of  misery  would  be  spared  her,  and  the 
bitterest  shame  removed  from  the  memory  of  his  nephew's 
name  in  her  father's  eyes.  She  answered  him  evasively. 
"  Men's  affections  are  so  difficult  to  understand,  father, 
all  except  yours."  She  caressed  his  cheeks  with  her  soft 
palms.  "  I  suppose  he  cared  for  me  just  as  much  as  ever 
until  he  heard  of  this,  and  until  I  resented  the  things  he 
said  about  my  people — then  I  spoke  hatefully  to  him. 
Sometimes  I  used  to  wonder  if  he  wouldn't  have  been  glad 
to  be  free  ;  I  think  he  would  if  he  had  felt  quite  certain 
that  I  shouldn't  have  married  any  one  else." 

At  that  moment  three  telegrams  were  brought  in  by 
Mr.  Lekejian's  confidential  clerk.  There  was  a  note  on 
the  top  of  the  telegrams,  which  were  on  an  ancient  Arab 
traff.  "  This  requires  an  immediate  answer,  sir,"  the 
man  said  in  Arabic.  "  The  hospital  porter  is  waiting." 
He  pointed  to  the  note,  and  with  a  respectful  salaam  with- 
drew to  the  outer  office. 

The  note  was  from  the  doctor  of  the  city  hospital,  a 
very  able  man,  whom  Mr.  Lekejian  knew  intimately. 

It  ran : 

"  If  you  wish  to  see  your  nephew  Girgis  Boutros  alive,  please 
oome  at  once — the  worst  is  feared." 

"  Yours  with  sympathy, 

"K.  B." 

Nicolas  Lekejian  rose,  pushing  Stella  gently  from  him. 
"  Find  your  mother,  child,  and  stay  with  her."  He 
kissed  her  tenderly  as  he  pressed  an  electric  bell  at  his 
feet.  The  turbaned  servant  was  at  his  master's  side  again 
in  answer  to  the  summons. 

"  Tell  the  man  who  brought  this  that  I  will  follow  him  ; 
give  Mr.  Nicolas  these  telegrams  when  he  comes  in  and 
ask  him  from  me  to  answer  them,  and  lock  up  my  desk." 
The  next  moment  he  had  left  his  office  and  was  out  in  the 
courtyard. 

Nancy,  who  was  still  seated  below  the  lebbek  tree  when 
he  passed  it,  rose  to  her  feet  and  flew  to  him.  "  Won't 
you  tell  me  what  has  happened,  Mr.  Lekejian  f  Every 
one  seems  steeped  in  gloom  f  Can  I  help  you  t  " 

"  Little  girl,"  he  said,  "  something  very  dreadful  has 
happened,  something  you  must  try  to  forgive,  for  Girgis 
Boutros  is  dying." 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  197 

"  E.G.  dying  !  Oh,  Mr.  Lekejian,  it  can't  be  true  !  " 
But  the  girl's  words  fell  upon  the  silent  courtyard,  for  Mr. 
Lekejian  had  passed  into  the  outer  court,  where  the  porter 
at  his  coming  sprang  from  his  old  stone  bench  near  the 
door  and,  at  his  master's  silent  order,  which  was  given  by 
the  merest  sign,  darted  up  the  street  to  find  a  cab.  In 
less  than  four  minutes  he  had  returned  with  one  and  was 
respectfully  helping  him  into  it,  while  with  the  exquisite 
courtesy  of  his  language  he  uttered  the  familiar  blessings 
on  the  out-going  of  the  master  of  the  household. 

When  Nicolas  Lekejian  entered  the  hospital  he  was  at 
once  taken  up  to  the  ward  in  which  his  nephew  was  lying. 
As  the  nurse  who  accompanied  him  opened  its  door,  the 
doctor  hurried  down  the  length  of  the  room  to  meet  him  : 
he  felt  a  sincere  sympathy  for  the  man  who  had  given  so 
much  of  his  time  and  brains  for  the  service  of  British  rule 
in  Egypt,  who  had  got  so  little  from  the  British  in  return, 
and  who  was  now,  by  this  dastardly  attempt  of  his  nephew, 
placed  in  a  position  of  humiliation  ;  but  he  was  quite  un- 
prepared for  the  change  the  shock  had  produced  in  the 
man.  The  Syrian,  the  only  one  of  his  race  whom  the 
doctor  had  ever  really  respected  or  greatly  admired,  was 
now  an  old  man  !  In  the  East  there  is  a  very  short  time 
granted  between  the  years  of  middle  age  and  infirmity. 
With  Nicolas  Lekejian  there  had  been  none.  These  few 
hours,  since  the  papers  had  published  the  brief  notice  of 
his  nephew's  attempted  crime,  had  eaten  them  up.  The 
doctor  shook  him  by  the  hand  silently  and  sym- 
pathetically as  he  walked  with  him  to  the  patient's  bed- 
side, a  sign  from  the  nurse  beckoning  them  to  come  more 
quickly. 

They  hurried  their  steps,  but  the  angel  of  death  went 
before  them  ;  and  ere  they  reached  the  narrow  bed,  where 
since  daybreak  the  life-blood  had  been  flowing  from  the 
lungs  of  the  young  patriot,  it  had  stopped  and  gathered 
in  its  arms  the  soul  of  Girgis  Boutros  and  borne  it  to  that 
valley  of  expiation,  wheresoever  it  may  be,  which  must 
be  traversed  before  the  erring  are  granted  peace. 

When  Nicolas  Lekejian  stood  by  his  nephew's  dead  body 
he  said :  "  And  the  goat  shall  bear  upon  him  all  their 
iniquities  into  a  land  not  inhabited." 


(  198  ) 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

WHEN  Nicolas  Lekejian  returned  from  the  hospital  to  hii 
home,  Stella  and  her  brother  found  it  unnecessary  to  deceive 
him  about  Girgis'a  knowledge  that  Vernon  was  to  be  in 
the  train  which  he  had  planned  to  wreck,  for  the  doctor 
had  given  him  full  details  of  the  capture  of  the  conspiratoi  :i 
by  the  police,  and  of  Girgis's  death  at  the  hand  of  his  own 
confederates.  The  news  lifted  the  burden  of  shame  from 
their  hearts,  and  in  their  thoughts  of  him  lessened  th«i 
awful  horror  of  his  meditated  crime.  Stella  underwent  a 
revolution  of  feeling,  and  hated  herself  for  ever  having 
believed  the  accusation  against  him.  Her  old  belief  in 
his  loyalty  to  herself  and  his  gratitude  to  Vernon  for  hav- 
ing saved  her  father  was  re-established. 

His  sudden  death  came  as  an  overwhelming  shock  t<i 
the  entire  household.  It  seemed  more  wwreal  to  Nancy 
than  to  any  of  the  others.  She  could  not  realise  that  any 
one  so  alive  with  the  virility  of  manhood  should  have 
suddenly  become  non-existent ;  it  was  incredible. 

Nicolas  had  found  her  in  his  mother's  morning-room, 
but  Mrs.  Lekejian  had  not  yet  returned. 

The  girl's  stricken  face  had  torn  Nicolas's  heart  and 
made  him  yearn  for  her  all  the  more  deeply  ;  the  cheeks  of 
his  pink  hedge-rose  were  as  pale  as  snowdrops.  When 
he  saw  that  his  mother  was  not  in  her  room  he  turned  to 
go — he  could  not  trust  himself  alone  with  the  pitiful  figure  ; 
but  as  he  was  about  to  leave  without  speaking  to  her, 
Nancy  cried  to  him :  "  Nicolas,  what  have  I  done  t 
Girgis  is  dying,  your  father  says.  What  has  happened  t 
Why  can't  I  know  ?  ' 

"  Dying !  "  Nicolas  started.  The  suddenness  of  the 
news  astounded  him,  but  he  felt  no  pity  for  the  miserable 
youth. 

"  It  is  the  only  thing  he  could  do,"  he  said  bitterly. 
He  imagined,  of  course,  that  his  cousin  had  committed 
suicide.  "  He  has  disgraced  himself  and  brought  shame 
on  our  household."  He  put  the  girl  determinedly  from 
him  as  she  rose  to  her  feet  and  impulsively  held  out 
her  hands  to  detain  him.  "  Don't  touch  me,"  he 
laid  :  "  this  house  is  no  fit  home  for  you  .  .  .  you  don't 
understand  .  .  .  Girgis  was  conspiring  to  murder  you! 
brother  !  " 

Nancy  staggered  back  :  his  words  stunned  her,  she  could 
scarcely  gasp  out  the  question,  "  Vernon  !  Is  he  safe  1 
Where  is  he  !  "  as  she  stared  at  him  with  terror  in  hex 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  199 

eyes.  Nicolas  could  have  killed  himself  for  having  so  cruelly 
hurt  her,  for  the  girl'a  words  had  come  labouringly. 

"  Vernon  is  perfectly  safe — he  was  here  this  morning : 
the  conspirators  were  caught  before  the  deed  was  attempted. 
.  .  .  My  cousin  .  .  ."  Nicolas  emphasised  the  relation- 
ship with  a  bitter  purpose,  "  was  arrested  last  night  along 
with  the  three  other  dastardly  villains  who  were  plotting 
to  kill  the  Khedive,  the  Prime  Minister,  and  Lord  Minton. 
Girgis  was  to  have  wrecked  the  train  which  conveyed  Lord 
Minton  to  Alexandria." 

Nancy's  hands  went  up  before  her  eyes — the  horror  of 
the  idea  was  too  near — but  Nicolas's  abrupt  movement 
to  leave  her  made  her  drop  them  and  cry  out  sharply  : 
"  You  mustn't  go  ;  stay  with  me  " — she  caught  him  angrily 
by  the  arm — "  stay  with  me,  I  tell  you  !  I  can't  bear  to 
be  alone  :  it  is  cruel  of  you  to  go." 

Nicolas  stayed  by  her  side  and  forced  himself  to  speak 
calmly.  "  I  will  do  anything  I  can  for  you,  little  Nancy," 
he  said,  "  anything  in  the  wide  world  that  will  help  you. 
I  was  a  brute  to  tell  you  so  abruptly,  but  I  was  mad — mad 
with  anger  ;  and  I  thought  the  sight  of  any  one  of  us  would 
naturally  be  loathsome  to  you  ...  I  was  afraid  to  come 
near  you." 

Nancy  smiled  through  her  tears.  "  When  you  all 
shunned  me  I  felt  lost,  and  a  stranger  amongst  you  for  the 
first  time.  And  I  thought  you  cared  a  little  for  me.  .  .  ." 
She  shivered.  "  Oh,  this  land  is  terrible  !  " 

"  You  are  lost  to  us,  Nancy,"  he  said  ;  "  Girgis  has  cut 
all  our  ties  .  .  .  you  must  forget  this  horrible  country 
and  go  home." 

"  What  do  you  mean  1  Girgis  must  have  gone  mad  ; 
he  was  not  accountable  for  his  deeds.  Love  sends  some 
natures  mad,  when  it  is  hopeless.  Vernon  will  understand 
.  .  ,  now  that  the  poor  boy  is  dying.  Oh,  poor,  poor 
E.G.  !  .  .  ."  she  paused  .  .  ."Affection  makes  life  dam- 
nable !  "  Nancy  looked  at  Nicolas  for  an  answer. 

"  His  form  of  madness  is  damnable,"  he  said  bitterly : 
"  it  has  broken  the  engagement  between  your  brother  and 
Stella  :  Vernon  could  not  marry  into  our  family  after  that." 

"Oh,  Nicolas!''  Who  said  so  ?  ...  he  could  ...  he 
could  if  he  loved  her  even  as  poor  Girgis  loved  her  .  .  .  but 
Vernon  does  not  know  how  to  love  .  .  ." 

Nancy's  trembling  ceased  ;  she  was  suddenly  transformed 
into  the  combative,  daring  girl  whose  love  for  her  school- 
friend  never  wavered,  and  to  whom  the  evidence  of  her 
brother's  self-satisfied  character  was  constantly  asserting 
itself  unpleasantly.  "  What  proof  is  there,"  she  said, 
"  that  Girgis  wished  to  murder  my  brother  t  .  .  .  I  can 


200  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

understand  and  believe  that  he  would  do  anything,  however 
awful,  ior  political  reasons,  for  I  have  always  considered 
him  quite  unbalanced  on  that  subject ;  but  I  refuse  to 
believe — and  I  think  you  ought  to  as  well,  Nicolas — that 
he  would  stoop  to  murder  any  one  for  purely  personal 
_  motives,  or  that  he  would  knowingly  have  killed  the  man 
who  saved  his  uncle's  life.  Girgis  adores  your  father.  Do 
you  know,"  she  said  encouragingly,  "  he  once  told  me  that 
he  considered  that  the  giving  of  Stella  to  my  brother 
(whom  of  course,  as  an  English  soldier,  he  disliked)  in  a 
way  helped  to  repay  the  debt  his  family  owed  Vernon  for 
having  saved  your  father  t  I  believe  that  Girgis  would 
have  saved  Veraon's  life  instead  of  taken  it,  if  it  had  only 
been  to  earn  Stella's  gratitude  !  That  is  not  the  sort  of 
stuff  criminals  are  made  of — criminals  who  stoop  to  murder 
for  personal  motives  t  " 

Nicolas's  eyes  were  aflame  with  gratitude  for  the  girl's 
words,  but  he  made  no  response. 

"  You  must  prove  to  me  that  E.G.  knew  that  Vernon 
was  to  be  in  that  train  before  I  allow  myself  to  think  the 
worst  of  him." 

Nicolas  was  on  the  point  of  telling  her  the  horrible  truth 
about  his  cousin,  for  he  wished  to  spare  his  family  nothing 
in  hor  eyes,  when  his  father  hurriedly  entered  the  room. 
Nancy  flew  to  him  and  flung  her  arms  round  him  ;  the 
weight  of  years  and  sorrow  that  had  suddenly  been  added 
to  his  life  almost  made  her  cry  out. 

"  Where  is  your  mother,  Nicolas  T  "  he  said  as  he  looked 
eagerly  round  the  room.  He  had  accepted  the  girl's  proof 
of  affection  gladly  and  was  tenderly  caressing  her  hands 
while  he  spoke.  When  he  saw  that  his  beloved  wife  was 
not  there  he  said  in  a  tired,  hollow  voice  :  "I  have  just 
returned  from  the  hospital.  Things  are  best  as  they  are  ! 
Girgis  is  dead  !  " 

The  two  listeners  did  not  speak. 

"  I  was  too  late  to  hear  any  confession  he  might  have 
wished  to  make.  A  bullet  from  a  revolver,  fired  at  him, 
by  one  of  his  own  party,  entered  his  lungs  ...  he  bled  to 
death." 

"  Why  did  they  shoot  him  t  "  It  was  Nancy  who  spoke, 
very  quietly  and  fearfully. 

"  Because  they  thought  Gingis  had  betrayed  them.  They 
tfere  all  arrested  only  a  few  moments  after  he  had  arrived 
at  a  little  caf6  in  the  suburbs,  where  he  had  gone  to  tell 
his  companions  that  he  could  not  carry  out  the  horrible 
crime  he  had  bowed  to  commit.  .  .  ."  Mr.  Lekejian 

£ressed  the  girl's  hand  closely  in  his  own  and  looked  into 
er  eyes  as  he  said  the  last  words.     "  He  had  heard  in 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  201 

the  morning  that  your  brother  was  to  be  in  Lord  Minton's 
party.  ...  He  met  his  compatriots  in  that  caf6  last 
night  to  deliver  himself  up  into  their  hands.  Ho  knew  he 
would  be  tortured  to  death  !  " 

There  was  silence  for  a  moment,  then  the  old  man 
repeated  the  familiar  Coptic  prayer  which  begins  with 
the  words,  "  Oh,  my  Lord,  have  mercy  !  Oh,  my  Lord, 
have  mercy  !  " 

A  groan  of  relief  and  gratitude  came  from  Nicolaa'a 
lips  as  his  eyes  sought  Nancy's. 

"  Thank  God  he  died  !  "  she  said.  "  Poor  wrong-headed 
Rameses  the  Great !  " 

"  God  is  merciful !  "  Mr.  Lekejian  said.  "  His  mercy  is 
farther-reaching  than  we  understand.  He  will  judge  the 
boy  justly." 

"  But  he  is  so  young  to  die,"  Nancy  said.  ...  "  I'm 
BO  glad,  so  awfully  glad  that  he  met  his  end  like  that  .  .  . 
that  he  refused  to  commit  the  crime.  It  was  just  as  if 
God  had  sent  him  reason  at  the  very  last.  .  .  .  Does  my 
brother  know  !  " 

"  No,  my  child,  I  think  not."  Mr.  Lekejian  hesitated, 
and  looked  at  Nicolas. 

"  Nancy  knows — I  have  told  her,  father." 

"  Yes,  I  know,"  she  said  hurriedly,  "  but,  oh,  when 
Vernon  understands  that  Girgis  practically  lost  his  life 
because  he  would  not  be  a  party  to  murdering  him,  that 
he  refused  to  carry  out  the  awful  vows  he  had  undertaken 
in  a  fit  of  madness,  they  will  be  the  same  as  they  were 
before  .  .  .  Vernon  will  .  .  .  will  ..." 

Mr.  Lekejian  turned  to  leave  her.  He  could  not  tell 
her  that  his  child  had  ceased  to  love  her  brother.  "  If 
it  had  been  you  who  were  going  to  be  my  dear  daughter 
instead  of  Vernon  my  son,  things  might  have  been  the 
same,  but  alas  !  that  is  not  the  case." 

The  next  moment  he  had  closed  the  door  behind  him, 
and  Nancy  and  Nicolas  were  left  looking  foolishly  at  each 
other. 

A  crimson  blush  dyed  Nancy's  soft  face  from  her  throat 
to  her  forehead  ! 

Instantaneously  with  Mr.  Lekejian's  words  there  rang 
through  her  ears  her  own  words  to  Stella  that  night  at 
Al  Fayyum  !  "  If  I  fall  in  love  with  Nicolas  I  shall  have 
to  propose  to  him  .  .  ."  The  idea  possessed  her.  Why 
should  she  not,  by  one  moment  of  daring,  in  this  awful 
hour  of  anguish,  when  his  suffering  robbed  her  of  all  false 
pride,  offer  herself  to  him  as  his  wife  t  She  knew  that  he 
loved  her  and  that  he  would  never,  unless  she  tempted 
him  beyond  measure,  tell  her  of  that  love.  She  was  willing 
o 


202  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

to  risk  the  humiliation  of  rejection  in  the  hope  that  her 
offer  would  be  received  with  joy. 

"  Nicolas  !  "  He  turned  to  her  ;  the  beautiful  blush  had 
not  left  her  face,  and  the  tone  of  her  voice  told  him  mora 
of  her  tale  than  she  was  aware.  She  held  out  her  hand  : 
he  knew  that  she  was  offering  it  to  him  as  his  wife,  but 
he  did  not  move.  He  had  only  to  stretch  out  his  arms  and 
she  was  his  ;  instead  of  which  he  stood  with  bowed  head 
and  firmly  clenched  fingers. 

Nancy  went  to  him  and  placed  her  hand  very  shyly  on 
his.  "  Won't  you  take  me,  Nicolas  f  Don't  you  want 
me  !  "  The  next  moment  her  hand  was  imprisoned  in  hia 
passionate  grasp. 

"  Oh,  my  darling !  God  knows  how  much  I  want  you, 
but  we're  not  fit  for  you,  Nancy  ..."  his  words  came 
brokenly  ..."  this  is  only  pity  you  feel,  it  can't  be  any- 
thing else." 

"  I  have  always  tempted  you,  Nicolas,  because  I  have 
always  loved  you  .  .  .  you  can't  refuse  me,  dearest,  after 
my  having  summoned  up  courage  to  ask  you.  .  .  ." 
She  looked  at  him  with  lovely,  taunting  eyes. 

"Little  Nancy,"  he  said  wearily,  as  though  bodily 
exhaustion  had  overcome  him  ..."  don't  tempt  me  to 
behave  like  a  villain — help  me  to  resist !  " 

The  man's  abject  humility  brought  tears  to  her  eyes, 
but  there  was  still  a  playful  lightness  in  her  voice  when  she 
said  :  "  I  once  told  Stella  that  if  I  fell  in  love  with  you  I 
should  have  to  propose  if  I  wanted  to  marry  you  ;  now 
I  must  tell  her  that  1  have  proposed  and  have  been  refused, 
that  you  are  shocked  at  my  want  of  maidenly  modesty." 

"  Nancy,"  he  said  hoarsely,  "  you  know  I  love  you  ! 
You  have  known  it  all  the  time  !  You  knew  you  were 
asking  me  to  accept  the  one  thing  that  could  make  life 
sweet — you  knew  it,  or  you  would  not  have  done  it !  I 
will  always  worship  and  adore  you,  more  than  ever  now 
for  having  done  this  thing — though  God  knows  you  have 
tempted  me  almost  more  than  I  can  bear." 

"  Then  don't  bear  it,"  she  held  out  her  hand,  "  give  in  and 
make  me  your  wife." 

"  I  can't  allow  you  to  ruin  your  life." 

"  Why  ruin  it,  Nicolas,  when  I'd  rather  belong  to  you 
than  any  one  else  in  the  world  !  "  * 

He  looked  at  her  with  exquisite  tenderness  shining  in 
his  eyes — "  Little  English  Nancy,  you  are  only  a  child 
in  years  ;  you  will  go  home  to  England  and  marry  a  man 
of  your  own  people  .  .  .  you  don't  understand  all  that  I 
should  be  doing  if  I  accepted  what  you  offer,  you  can't 
understand  .  .  .  you  don't  know  what  you  would  hava 


A  WIFE  OUT  OP  EGYPT  203 

to  give  up,  what  you  would  be  subjected  to."  He  shook 
her  almost  roughly  out  of  his  way  as  his  mind  recalled  all 
the  slights  his  mother  and  sister  had  endured.  "  Let  me 
go,  for  pity's  sake,  Nancy.  Don't  tempt  me  any  longer." 

"First  tell  me,  Nicolas,  why  it  would  have  been  all 
right  for  Stella  to  marry  Vernon  ?  " 

"  Because  he  would  have  taken  her  home  to  England,  she 
would  have  borne  his  name,  her  race  would  have  been 
swallowed  up  in  his  .  .  ."  he  spoke  bitterly  ..."  You 
can't  blame  him." 

"  I  see,"  Nancy  said  slowly  ;  "  Stella  would  have  been 
changed  into  an  Englishwoman  by  marrying  my  brother, 
while  I,  an  Englishwoman,  should  have  been  changed  into 
a  Syrian  by  marrying  Nicolas  Lejekian  junior,  and  I  should 
have  lived  in  Cairo  f  " 

"  Exactly,  for  while  my  father  lives  I  will  never  leave 
him  ;  I  am  not  much  of  a  business  man,  but  just  of  late  he 
has  learnt  to  rely  upon  me  in  the  matter  of  correspon- 
dence .  .  ."  he  looked  at  her  hungrily,  for  love  was  making 
its  demands  ..."  I  mustn't  let  you  do  it." 

The  girl  was  thoughtful  for  a  moment.  "  Your  mother 
has  been  happy,  Nicolas  f  " 

"  You  mean  she  has  never  allowed  us  to  see  her  suffering  : 
she  has  given  up  her  life  to  her  husband  and  her  children." 

Nancy  answered  him  with  the  pleading  that  was  in  her 
smile. 

"  My  darling,"  he  said,  "  if  I  loved  you  less  than  I  do, 
if  I  did  not  treasure  you  as  something  far  too  pure  and 
unspotted  to  sully  with  the  life  out  here,  I  would  forget 
your  happiness  and  think  only  of  my  own."  He  put  his 
arms  round  her.  "  I  want  to  hold  you  just  once,  Nancy, 
as  if  you  belonged  to  me,  may  It" 

Nancy  yielded  her  pliant  body  to  his  embrace,  their 
cheeks  were  pressed  together.  Nicolas  dared  not  truat 
himself  to  seek  her  lips  :  the  sweetness  of  her  breath  was  on 
his  neck,  the  fragrance  of  her  being  was  enflaming  his 
senses.  In  that  sublime  draught  of  love  all  sorrow  and 
suffering  was  forgotten,  the  ecstasy  of  the  moment  obliter- 
ated the  memory  of  renunciations. 

Then  Nicolas,  while  the  best  in  him  still  triumphed, 
unclasped  her  fingers  from  his  neck  and  held  her  from  him 
at  arm's  length.  "  God  bless  you,"  he  said  ;  "  your  sweet- 
ness and  dearness  are  not  for  me,  but  after  this  I  can 
fight,  I  can  be  strong." 

He  crushed  her  hands  tightly  in  his. 

"  Good-bye,"  Nancy  said  softly,  but  as  her  words  were 
spoken  she  thrust  her  pleading  face  quickly  forward  and 
pressed  her  lips  against  her  lover's. 


204  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

When    she    raised    her    head,    she    whispered :    "  My 
husband  !     For  in  my  thoughts  and  in  nay  heart  you  will 
be  my  husband,  Nicolas,  and  I  am  your  wife."     So  remem- 
ber if  you  marry  again  you  will  be  committing  bigamy." 
"  Good-bye,  little  wife,"  he  said,  "  and  God  guard  you." 
The  next  moment  Nancy  had  left  the  room,  and  Nicolaa 
was  alone,  enjoying  over  again  the  brief  ecstasy  of  their 
first  embrace. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

NANCY  fled  to  Stella's  room.  She  found  her  standing  by 
the  window,  looking  out  into  the  palm -garden  ;  she  did 
not  appear  to  notice  Nancy's  entrance  until  the  girl's  arm 
was  slipped  through  hers,  then  she  turned  questioning  eyes 
on  her  to  see  if  the  girl  knew  of  Girgis's  death. 

Nancy  understood  the  meaning  of  her  look.  "  Yes,  I 
know,  darling  !  "  There  was  silence  again,  for  mere  words 
at  such  a  moment  seemed  a  pitiful  mockery  of  the  inexpres- 
sible sorrow  she  felt  for  her  friend.  Tears  filled  Stella's 
eyes — Nancy's  sympathy  had  brought  them,  and  they 
were  a  welcome  sight  to  Nancy,  for  the  girl's  motionless 
calm  was  harder  to  bear.  Vernon's  name  Nancy  could 
not  mention  :  he  seemed  to  her  at  the  moment  despicable 
and  inhuman  ;  her  passionate  young  being  longed  to  trans- 
form itself  into  a  man  and  a  lover,  so  that  she  might  fold 
Stella  in  strong  arms,  and  show  her  how  she  would  love  if 
she  were  a  man.  To  know  that  this  girl,  whose  loveliness 
never  grew  stale  in  Nancy's  eyes,  had  been  thrown  over 
by  her  brother  in  this  hour  of  trial  and  suffering,  filled  her 
with  wrathful  indignation. 

"  Stella,"  she  cried,  "  I  have  proposed  to  Nicolas,  and  he 
has  refused  me."  She  could  not  have  said  it  if  she  had 
not  been  certain  of  Nicolas's  love  ;  the  knowledge  of  it  was 
in  her  heart  like  a  song. 

"  Nancy  !  "  Stella's  voice  betrayed  reproach  rather  than 
sympathy — reproach  that  her  friend  should  have  dared  to 
offer  such  consolation  to  her  brother  in  their  dire  humilia- 
tion :  it  seemed  to  her  a  form  of  patronage  which  was  not  in 
good  taste. 

"  Yes,  I  told  you  at  the  Fayyum  that  I  should  be  driven 
into  doing  it  ...  and  I  was." 

"  In  what  way  t  " 

"  Because  I  love  him,  and  he  made  me  understand  h« 
would  never  ask  me  to  be  his  wife,  he  told  me  that  this 
deed  of  Girgis's  had  placed  a  gulf  between  us  for  ever  .  .  . 
he  could  not  have  said  more  plainly,  '  I  can't  marry  you.'  " 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  205 

"  And  how  could  he  t  " 

"  He  could  do  anything  if  he  loved  me  .  .  .  love  can 
move  mountains  !  " 

"  He  does  love  you — you  know  that  f  " 

"  Not  in  my  way,  or  he'd  marry  me." 

"  His  own  way  is  nobler,  Nancy  !  " 

"  Oh,  fiddlesticks  !  "  she  said  scornfully.  "  I  don't 
want  nobility,  human  devotion  is  good  enough  for  me  !  " 

"  You  ask  for  humility  ?  " 

"I  don't!"  Nancy  spoke  emphatically.  "I  want  the 
happiness  of  becoming  his  wife.  .  .  ."  She  paused,  and 
then  added  irritably,  "  For  hypersensitive  reasons  he  won't 
grant  me  that  happiness,  he  has  refused  me :  why  should 
he  spoil  my  life  1  " 

Stella  drew  her  hand  away.  "  Nancy  I  wonder  if  you 
really  know  what  love  is — it's  so  deceptive  .  .  ."  Stella 
sighed  .  .  .  "so  deceptive,  Nancy,  for  many  false  gods 
will  rise  up  and  call  themselves  Love  .  .  .  Nicolas  is  unlike 
the  men  you  have  been  accustomed  to  meeting,  just  as  we 
are  unlike  the  women  Girgis  knew,  and  you  are  provoked 
because  you  can't  make  him  say  that  he  loves  you." 

Nancy  interrupted  her :  "  He's  got  brains  and  ideas  : 
he  makes  life  interesting.  When  I'm  with  him  I  always 
think  there  are  so  many  interesting  things  to  do  that  the 
days  could  never  be  long  enough  .  .  .  when  I'm  alone, 
and  his  ideas  are  forgotten,  I  don't  know  how  to  pass  my 
time." 

"  Vernon  was  a  new  type  to  me  when  I  met  him  .  .  . 
I  thought  him  very  unusual !  " 

"  I  can't  describe  my  feelings  for  him  then,  I  never 
stopped  to  think  ;  I  took  it  for  granted  that  I  loved  him 
.  .  ."  she  blushed  ..."  and  I  did  adore  him  in  a  sort  of 
way  :  his  good  looks  and  active  manhood  roused  feelings  in 
me  that  I  mistook  for  love.  It's  really  awfully  difficult  to 
know,  Nancy,  when  you  are  quite  young,  and  when  a  very 
good-looking  man  makes  love  to  you." 

"  Stella  !  "  Nancy's  voice  was  filled  with  amazement. 
"  You  had  ceased  to  love  him  before  this  happened  !  " 

"  Yes,  I  asked  him  for  my  freedom  !  "  Stella's  loyalty 
to  the  memory  of  the  man  whose  love  she  had  once  so 
glorified  in  would  not  allow  her  to  let  even  his  sister  know 
that  she  had  freed  Vernon  for  his  own  sake,  freed  him  from 
a  tie  which  she  knew  had  become  undesirable  to  him  on 
account  of  her  birth. 

"  And  Vernon  ! "  A  tone  of  sisterly  loyalty  to  her 
brother  was  evident  in  Nancy's  voice :  it  betokened  a 
touch  of  resentment. 

"  I  have  not  broken  his  heart,  the  wounds  will  mend. 


206  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

We  fell  in  love  with  each  other's  physical  attractions,  I 
suppose,  and  intimacy  has  proved  that  in  characteristics 
we  are  tmmateable." 

"  Did  you  love  any  one  else,  Stella  f  Was  it  poor  Girgis  1 
I  think  it  is  only  loving  some  one  else  that  can  show  a 
woman  that  sort  of  thing  1  " 

A  cry  of  horror  told  Nancy  how  mistaken  her  idea  had 
been.  Stella's  hands  flew  up  to  her  face  to  hide  the  crim- 
son blush  of  shame  which  her  question  had  called  up.  Did 
she  love  some  one  else  1  It  was  weeks  now  since  she  had 
allowed  her  senses  or  mind  to  dwell  on  the  image  of  Michael 
Ireton  :  she  had  imagined  she  had  driven  him  out  of  the 
citadel  of  her  heart.  She  had  fought  the  fight  over  and 
over  again,  until  the  repeated  attacks  of  his  strong  per- 
sonality at  unguarded  moments  had  almost  ceased. 

"  I'm  so  sorry,  Stella  dear.  Do  forgive  me  !  It  was 
horrid  of  me  !  "  cried  Nancy. 

Stella  raised  her  eyes  to  Nancy's,  "  Poor  Girgis  !  .  .  ." 
He  was  so  young  to  die  ;  so  full  of  life  ;  and  with  all  his 
wealth  and  perfect  health,  life  should  have  been  so  sweet 
— he  seemed  to  have  everything  a  young  man  could 
want." 

"  Except  your  love  !  " 

"  I  never  dreamt  how  much  he  wanted  me  really  .  .  . 
I  thought  he  was  only  a  boy  ...  it  is  so  difficult  to  be- 
lieve that  men  can  really  feel  any  lasting  depth  of  love 
for  a  woman  when  it  begins  so  suddenly.  Girgis  would 
have  asked  my  father  for  my  hand  the  first  night  he  met 
me  if  he  had  not  known  I  was  engaged  to  Vernon.  I  have 
always  heard  and  read  that  with  all  Eastern  and  Oriental 
races  real  love  comes  at  first  sight :  it  was  certainly  so  with 
Girgis." 

"  We're  too  English  to  understand  that  sort  of  thing." 

"  I'm  not  English  ;  I  ought  to  understand,  I  suppose." 

"  You  are  English :  your  mother  is,  and  your  bringing- 
up  has  been  English  ;  you're  accustomed  to  the  reserve  of 
English  people — Girgis's  flowery  expressions  didn't  mean 
anything  to  you  .  .  .  I'm  sure  Vernon  never  said  anything 
more  poetic  than  '  I'm  beastly  fond  of  you,  old  girl,  and  you 
know  it,'  and  yet  you  believed  in  him  implicitly." 

Stella  smiled,  for  the  remark  was  certainly  reminiscent 
of  Vernon's  attempt  at  expressing  his  feelings  for  her. 

"  Girgis  promised  to  work  for  Egypt  to  please  me :  I 
meant  him  to  work  in  the  way  he  always  has  worked, 
educating  the  farmers,  giving  money  for  new  schools,  and  by 
Betting  the  good  example  he  has  done  to  other  wealthy 
Egyptian  youths  of  not  gambling,  and  of  leading  a  clean, 
healthy,  open-air,  active  life.  And  now  he  has  done  this 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  207 

mad  act !  Allowed  himself  to  trust  these  horrible  Socialists, 
who  are  the  true  enemies  of  his  country  !  And  then  to 
shoot  him  as  though  he  were  a  dog  !  Of  course  they 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  he  had  betrayed  them  because 
ho  was  a  Christian — that's  typical  of  all  Moslems,  their 
distrust  of  Christians  !  " 

"  But  he  couldn't  have  thought  it  would  please  you, 
Stella — he  knows  your  views  f  " 

"  He  wished  to  appear  a  hero  in  my  ej^es,  as  Vernon 
did  :  he  knew  he  must  die  if  he  accomplished  the  deed,  for 
the  conspirators  who  have  done  these  things  have  always 
met  with  death,  and,  be  it  to  their  credit,  they  have  never 
feared  death  ;  but  he  had  not  the  courage  to  live  if  he  could 
not  have  me  for  his  wife." 

"  Poor  foolish  Girgia  !  " 

"  He  asked  me  if  I  would  love  him  as  a  hero  if  he  did 
some  great  work  for  his  country." 

"  And  such  work  !  " 

"  I  said  I  would,  and  then  he  said  (I  recall  his  very 
words  now)  .  .  .  '  Kemember,  it  will  be  work  done  in  my 
own  way,  but  it  will  be  work  done  for  Egypt  and  for 
your  sake.'  And  now  he's  dead,  and  to-night  he  will  be 
buried,  and  to-morrow  the  world  will  know  him  no  more  ! 
And  all  this  is  because  I  am  alive !  I  must  go  on 
living  and  hating  myself  every  hour  of  the  day."  Stella 
flung  herself  down  on  the  low  couch  by  the  window  and 
wept.  ..."  Of  what  earthly  use  am  I  ?  Why  take  this 
good  life  and  save  a  drone — a  woman  like  myself  ?  " 

Nancy  stood  by  her,  not  knowing  what  to  say. 

Stella  turned  and  faced  her  suddenly.  "  Isn't  it  horrible 
to  be  me,  Nancy  1  If  I  could  have  loved  Girgis,  this 
tiling  need  never  have  been — if  I'd  never  been  brought  up 
to  believe  I  was  like  Western  women  !  " 

"  It  would  have  made  no  difference,  Stella  :  if  you  had 
married  him,  Girgis  would  have  gone  his  own  way,  in 
spite  of  his  adoration  for  you.  In  politics  you  could  never 
have  influenced  him,  he'd  have  come  to  this  sooner  or 
later  :  he  was  a  born  revolutionist." 

The  truth  of  her  remark  made  Stella's  face  less  tragic. 

"  You  must  remember  that  death  meant  nothing  in  his 
eyes  ;  life  was  sweet  when  its  desires  were  procurable,  but 
death  did  not  matter — it  was  one  of  the  things  that  happen  : 
a  man's  fate  is  about  his  neck  !  " 

"  He  was  my  full  cousin,"  Stella  said  woefully,  "  and 
yet  I  know  that  what  you  say  is  true,  though  it  seems  in- 
credible that  any  one  so  closely  allied  to  me  could  see 
tilings  in  that  light.  .  .  ." 

"  Will  he  be  buried  to-night,  Stella  !  " 


208  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

"  Probably,  after  sun-down  :  in  this  weather  there  in  no 
time  between  death  and  burial.  That  is  why  we  come 
to  look  upon  death  more  lightly,  the  whole  thing  is  over 
BO  quickly." 

Nancy  shuddered.  "  It's  awful,  isn't  it  f  There's 
something  »o  pitiless  about  Egypt.  It  gets  down  so  re- 
morselessly to  the  bed-rock  of  cruelty  and  of  passions." 

"  You  must  leave  it,  Nancy,  and  forget  its  mixture  of 
races,  its  mixture  of  creeds,  its  mixture  of  hates  and  morals. 
You  don't  understand  the  hundredth  part  of  its  race- 
hatreds :  how  all  the  different  sects  of  Christians  loathe  and 
detest  one  another,  how  all  races  loathe  and  despise  the 
Jews,  how  the  Jews  in  their  turn  loathe  and  detest  the 
Moslems,  how  the  English  Christians  despise  and  scorn  the 
Eastern  Christians,  and  how  the  Copts  detest  the  Greeks." 

Stella  had  not  finished  her  list  of  hates  before  a  knock 
came  to  her  door.  A  servant  entered  and  said,  with  a 
profound  salaam  :  "  The  lady  of  the  house  has  returned  ; 
she  desires  her  daughter's  presence  in  her  room." 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

Two  months  'at3r  Miss  MacNaughtan  was  once  again  waiting 
in  her  green  and  black  drawing-room  for  the  arrival  of  her 
favourite  pupil,  Stella  Adair.  She  was  seated  in  the  same 
deep-bedded  sofa  as  she  had  been  when  she  had  waited  for 
her  two  years  ago,  she  was  again  listening  for  the  sudden 
stopping  of  a  taxi  at  her  door.  The  sound  she  was  ex- 
pecting caught  her  ears,  then  the  opening  of  the  front 
door,  and  then  the  tread  of  feet  on  the  polished  staircase 
and  the  murmur  of  voices.  It  was  Stella  speaking  to  the 
old  man-servant.  Then  the  door  was  opened  and  her 
darling  flew  across  the  room  to  her  :  the  next  moment  the 
two  women  were  locked  in  each  other's  arms. 

When  the  long  embrace  was  over  the  elder  woman 
drew  the  girl  to  the  sofa  ;  they  sank  into  it  together,  still  in 
Bilence.  Stella  let  her  eyes  wander  slowly  round  the  room  : 
her  ardent  gaze  took  in  every  familiar  object  and  marked 
jealously  each  new  feature  of  decoration,  each  new  orna- 
ment. Impetuously  she  rose  to  her  feet  and  stood  for  a 
moment  in  front  of  a  large  photograph  of  Watts'  "  Love 
and  Death." 

Miss  MacNaughtan  watched  her  with  sympathetic  eyes  : 
»he  knew  her  pupil  had  come  into  a  woman's  inheritance 
of  suffering,  and  that  suffering  must  be  borne  alone.  She 
•aw  that  the  school-girl  she  had  nurtured  so  carefully 
existed  no  longer  ;  she  was  glad  that  this  creature  of  nobls 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  209 

womanhood  was  there  in  her  stead.  Like  a  bird  whose 
leathers  have  been  bruised  and  bent  with  the  buffeting 
of  many  winds,  Stella  flew  back  to  her  seat  on  the  sofa. 
As  she  sank  into  it  she  buried  her  face  in  her  hands. 

With  a  deep  breath,  which  was  a  relieving  sigh,  the  words 
escaped  her  lips  :  "  Thank  God  !  "  She  looked  up  as  she 
ipoke,  and  dropped  her  hands  in  her  lap. 

"  For  what,  my  darling  ?  " 

"  For  you.  .  .  ."  Thank  God  He  has  left  you  at  least 
unchanged." 

"  My  poor  child  !  With  you — things  had  to  change, 
you  were  only  in  the  making,  you  had  to  leave  girlhood 
behind  and  take  your  place  in  the  kingdom  of  woman- 
hood." 

"  A  kingdom  of  suffering  t  " 

"  Not  altogether ;  in  womanhood  the  sweetness  is  so 
much  sweeter  if  the  pain  goes  deeper." 

Stella  suddenly  changed  her  tone.  "  Naughtie,  I 
remember  now  all  that  you  meant  and  knew  when  you 
came  back  from  Egypt  and  wouldn't  explain.  Do  you 
remember  how  I  asked  you  what  you  were  keeping  back  1  " 

"  I  didn't  know  nearly  all,  but  I  was  afraid  !  " 

"  Wouldn't  it  have  been  better  to  have  told  me,  to  have 
warned  me  ?  " 

"  It  was  hard  to  know.  I  thought  not,  dear.  .  .  .  What 
good  could  it  have  done  1  " 

Stella  paused  and  then  said  reflectively,  "  I  wonder  T  " 
Her  wonder  was  whether,  if  Vernon  had  known,  he  would 
have  gone  to  Cairo,  or  would  have  changed  into  some 
other  regiment  and  made  her  marry  him  without  waiting  f 
She  knew  that  she  would  have  done  what  he  asked  then  ; 
but  even  now,  as  she  thought  of  it,  the  sigh  she  had  given 
was  one  of  relief — relief  that  things  were  even  as  they  were 
rather  than  as  they  might  have  been  !  Suddenly  she  said, 
"  You  know  that  Nancy  is  in  love  with  Nicolas  ?  " 

"  Is  he  in  love  with  her  ?  " 

"  He  adores  her  !  We  all  adore  her  ;  she's  such  a  brick  ! 
Dear,  loyal  little  Nancy,  she  has  never  failed  us." 

"  When  are  they  to  be  married  ?  " 

Stella  shook  her  head.     "  Nicolas  won't  give  in." 

"  What  about  ?  " 

"  Haven't  you  heard  that  the  other  three  conspirators 
have  got  five  years'  penal  servitude  !  " 

14  Yes,  I  saw  it  in  the  papers  a  few  days  ago." 

"  Girgis,  my  cousin,  might  have  been  one  of  them." 
Stella's  face  quivered  convulsively. 

"  But  Girgis  is  not  Nicolas.  ...  I  think  he  is  .hyper- 
sensitive. .  .  .  You  know,  dear,  I  would  not  pretond  to 


210  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

approve  of  Nancy  or  of  you  marrying  a  man  like  your 
cousin  Girgis  ;  he  was  brought  up  in  Oriental  customs,  he 
was  elemental  in  his  passions,  he  was  essentially  Eastern  : 
but  your  brother  is  to  all  intents  and  purposes  a  European, 
a  highly-cultured  man  and  a  perfect  gentleman  ;  besides, 
Syrian*  are  not  a  dark  race.  It  is  not  as  though  coloured 
blood  was  to  be  feared  .  .  ."  she  paused.  "  Poor  little 
Nancy  !  So  she,  too,  is  passing  through  the  fire  t  " 

"  Yes,  the  whole  of  a  woman's  life  is  pay,  pay,  pay, 
and  the  ones  who  feel  the  most  pay  the  most  heavily." 
Stella  paused,  "  and  yet  the  work  I'm  going  to  do  will 
only  add  to  the  suffering  of  womankind  !  " 

Miss  MacNaughtan  looked  at  her  anxiously.  "  What 
work  is  that,  dear  !  " 

"  I  am  going  to  teach  the  women  of  Egypt  to  be  clean 
and  to  suffer  !  " 

"  My  dear  !  "  Miss  MacNaughtan  smiled. 

"  I  am.  .  .  .  It's  quite  true  !  " 

"  But  how — in  what  way  1  " 

"  I've  at  last  gained  father's  consent.  I'm  going  back 
to  Egypt  to  lecture  in  the  schools  for  women.  I'm  going 
to  lecture  on  all  sorts  of  domestic  things.  .  .  ."  She  turned 
smiling  eyes  to  her  companion.  "  I'm  going  to  teach 
the  humbler  classes  the  virtue  of  cleanliness,  not  only  of 
the  body  but  of  the  mind,  I  hope,  and  I'm  going  to  teach 
them  how  to  work  and  be  good  housewives,  instead  of  the 
idle,  filthy  creatures  they  are,  living  solely  by  animal 
instincts.  .  .  .  I'm  going  to  show  the  upper  classes  the 
wisdom  of  educating  their  girls  so  as  to  be  companions  and 
not  slaves  to  their  husbands.  .  .  ."  She  paused  and 
sighed.  .  .  .  "  Oh  !  and  generally,  Naughtie,  inoculate  them 
with  the  sufferings  of  a  higher  civilisation.  .  .  ."  She 
paused.  .  .  ."I  wonder  if  it's  a  case  of  the  fox  that  had 
its  tail  cut  off  f  It  seems  woefully  like  it,  doesn't  it  f  " 

"  You  wouldn't  be  different  from  what  you  are,  would 
you  t  You  wouldn't  change  with  one  of  them  f  " 

"I'm  going  to  do  it,  Naughtie  ;  the  idea  has  been  grow- 
ing and  growing.  .  .  .  My  engagement  to  Vernon  stopped 
it.  ...  But  now — now  that  I  am  free,  if  seems  as  though 
it  had  all  been  arranged  so  that  I  should  do  it.  NancJ 
wants  to  help  me  !  " 

"  But  her  people  t  " 

"  She  inherits  her  mother's  money  at  twenty-three  1 
She's  quite  free ;  but  I  don't  want  her  to.  ...  Dissuade 
her  if  you  can,  only  I'm  afraid  that  if  Nicolas  doesn't 
marry  her,  she'll  do  something  of  that  sort.  .  .  .  Egypt  has 
unsettled  her  ;  she's  lost  all  taste  for  conventional  English 
life.  ,  .  ."  She  paused.  "  It  was  modern  Egypt  that 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  211 

fascinated  her — she  took  very  little  interest  in  the  ancient 
things.  She's  like  Vernon  in  that,  only  he  hated  everything 
Egyptian." 

"  But  you,  uearest — what  sort  of  a  life  is  it  for  you  t  " 
Miss  MacNaughtan  looked  troubled. 

"  It's  the  only  one  I  can  see  before  me  .  .  .  and  I  always 
Bee  it.  I  have  seen  it  ever  since  I  began  to  understand 
things  that  are  below  the  surface  in  Egypt.  ...  I  want  to 
work  for  the  poor  who  are  totally  unenlightened,  but  it's 
very  difficult— they  are  so  afraid  of  Christians  trying  to 
proselytise.  There  was  a  dreadful  letter  in  one  of  the  native 
papers  the  other  day,  hurling  the  most  foul  abuse,  and 
insinuating,  and  attributing  the  lowest  motives  to  a  dear 
woman  who  was  lecturing  to  a  crowd  of  women,  trying  to 
teach  them  some  of  the  first  principles  of  hygiene,  the 
keeping  of  their  babies  clean,  the  folly  of  charms  for  cur- 
ing sore  eyes,  and  all  that  sort  of  thing." 

"  Reformers  must  suffer  persecution ;  it's  splendid 
work."  While  they  were  discussing  the  subject,  Clarkson 
brought  in  the  tea  and  arranged  it  in  front  of  his  mistress. 

Stella's  eyes  took  in  at  a  glance  the  fact  that  her  favourite 
sandwiches  and  cakes  had  not  been  forgotten.  She  laughed 
as  she  inspected  the  dishes.  "  Dear  Naughtie,  I  do  be- 
lieve I'm  growing  younger.  The  sight  of  these  stuffed  olives 
makes  me  feel  that  life  still  has  its  moments  !  " 

"  I'm  so  glad,  dear,  but  I  want  it  to  have  its  years. 
I've  looked  forward  to  this  day  for  ages  and  ages,  it  seems 
to  me  ;  letters  are  so  unsatisfying,  even  though  you  told 
me  all  the  essentials." 

"  And  now  things  are  so  different,  and  yet  the  same. 
.  .  .  When  I  look  at  you,  Naughtie,  I  see  light  ahead  !  I 
feel  more  confident  of  myself.  I  used  to  long  to  live  a  life 
like  yours,  and  then  love  came  .  .  .  !  "  she  paused  .  .  . 
"  or  I  thought  it  did,  and  it  drove  out  all  my  line  ideals  ; 
but  they've  come  back — they  weren't  dead,  they  were 
only  drugged  for  a  time.  .  .  ."  She  shook  herself  as  though 
to  throw  off  even  the  memory  of  her  servitude.  "  I'm  so 
glad  I'm  free  from  the  chains  of  love.  I'm  glad  I  own 
myself  again." 

"  Poor  dear  !  " 

"  I'm  not  speaking  bitterly.  My  heart  isn't  broken  .  .  . 
not  even  chipped.  .  .  .  It's  all  the  other  things  in  me  that 
were  hurt  .  .  .  and  oh,  so  bruised  !  .  .  .  pride,  belief, 
loyalty,  justice — everything,  in  fact,  except  my  heart ; 
it  was  only  .  .  ." 

"But  you  loved  him  ?  " 

"  His  good  looks  and  love-making  carried  me  off  my 
feet,  that  must  have  been  all.  I  suppose  every  woman 


212  A  WIPE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

finds  a  great  charm  in  being  loved  ;  perhaps  she  has  to  b« 
loved  many  times  before  she  herself  knows  what  real 
love  means." 

"  Then  things,  after  all,  are  for  the  best." 

"  I  suppose  so.  ...  But  was  it  necessary  to  undergo  all 
this  ...  to  find  it  out  t  And  now  Nancy  has  to  carry 
about  a  hungry  heart !  " 

"  A  little  waiting  won't  do  her  any  harm  :  it  either 
strengthens  affection  or  kills  it." 

"  I  don't  think  Nicolas  will  ever  consent."  Stella 
laughed  at  the  memory  of  something  that  had  suddenly 
flashed  across  her  thoughts.  "  Do  you  know,  Nancy 
actually  proposed  to  him — at  least  she  swears  she  did.  I 
was  too  sad,  at  the  time  she  told  me,  to  laugh,  but  I've 
often  done  so  since  !  " 

"  My  dear,  how  like  Nancy  !  " 

"  It  was  on  the  day  Girgis  died,  when  everything  was 
terrible.  I  had  just  broken  off  my  engagement  with 
Vernon.  She  was  so  sweet,  Naughtie,  I  wonder  that 
Nicolas  could  have  been  strong  enough  to  resist  her. 
Father  worships  her,  and  she  plays  with  him  like  a  kitten 
.  .  .  and  yet  she's  such  a  true  woman.  After  Girgis's 
funeral,  when  father  was  ill,  she  nursed  him — in  that 
awful  heat.  She  sat  up  watching  him,  with  mother  and 
me,  night  after  night.  She  was  wonderful.  Nicolas 
and  she  used  to  meet  during  all  that  time  just  as  friends  ; 
she  behaved  like  a  brick  to  him.  .  .  .  We  were  coming 
home  then,  you  know." 

"  Yes,  I  expected  you  weeks  ago." 

"  Father  took  ill  quite  suddenly." 

"  How  is  he  now  t 

Stella  sighed.  "  He's  an  old  man,  though  he's  not  sixty 
yet — an  old,  old  man.  Girgis  killed  his  last  spark  of  youth. 
It  was  terrible. 

"  My  poor  darling,  I'm  sure  it  was." 

"  In  the  East  most  men  are  old  at  sixty,  and  yet  once 
they  get  past  that  age  many  of  them  live  on  and  on  until 
they  are  any  age.  The  men  who  live  frugal  lives,  live 
to  be  as  old  as  Methuselah." 

"  One  of  the  blessings  of  poverty  !  " 

"  Exactly !  Bread  and  coffee  and  smoke  is  all  they 
can  afford.  Poor  father — although  he  could  have  indulged 
himself  in  every  kind  of  luxury,  he's  lived  such  a  temperate 
life.  .  .  ."  She  paused.  "  Father's  religion  has  always 
meant  a  great  deal  to  him  ;  he's  lived  up  to  it ;  his  has  been 
a  beautiful  life." 

"  He's  been  a  true  friend  to  England." 

"  That's  where  he  is  so  big,"  Stella  said  eagerly.     "  You 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  213 

can't  make  him  bitter  towards  the  English,  in  spite  of  the 
treatment  we  have  received  at  their  hands.  ...  He  says 
these  are  petty  things,  that  no  race  is  without  its  faults, 
and  that  their  shortcomings  must  be  overlooked  because 
of  the  wonderful  work  they  have  done  for  the  country. 
He  sees  the  difference  !  .  .  .  Poor  Girgis  was  too  young  ! 
He  came  into  a  generation  grown  used  to  the  benefits 
conferred  on  his  country  by  the  British,  a  generation 
eager  to  find  fault  and  revolt  against  the  smallest  griev- 
ances. You  don't  find  many  of  the  old  mer  in  Egypt 
amongst  the  Socialist  party  !  " 

The  telephone -bell  sounded,  and  Miss  MacNaughtan 
rose  to  answer  it.  In  a  few  moments  she  called  out, 
"  Stella  can  you  come  with  me  to-night  to  a  lecture  at  the 
Royal  Geographical  Society  t  I  have  had  two  tickets 
offered  to  me.  Penrose,  the  explorer,  ia  going  to  lecture 
on  his  journey  across  Central  America  and  down  the 
Amazon." 

Stella  nodded.  "  I'd  love  to,  but  if  I  do  I  must  go 
home  at  once."  She  rose  from  her  seat.  "  Where  shall 
we  meet  ?  " 

Miss  MacNaughtan  hung  up  the  receiver.  "Come  for 
me  here,  dear  ;  it's  not  much  out  of  your  way,  and  we  can 
drive  there  together." 

Stella  looked  at  the  clock.  "  It's  half -past  five  now. 
I  must  be  back  again  at  what  time  ¥  " 

"  Seven-thirty,  if  we  want  good  seats.  It's  sure  to  be 
crowded." 

They  walked  to  the  top  of  the  stairs. 

Stella  looked  up  with  happy  eyes  as  she  ran  down  them. 
"  It's  like  old  times,  Naughtie,  going  to  lectures  together  !  " 

Her  old  mistress  smiled  a  loving  answer.  "  Good-bye, 
dear.  Do  you  want  a  taxi  t  " 

Clarkson  was  ready  to  open  the  door  and  blow  his 
whistle.  While  Stella  waited  he  said :  "  H'it's  been  a 
rare  treat  to  see  you  h'again,  miss.  There's  never  been 
h'any  one  like  you  in  this  'ouse,  h'ever  since  you  went 
away." 

"  Oh,  Clarkie,  I'm  so  glad  !  I'm  so  awfully  glad  nothing 
ever  changes  here  .  .  ."  she  sighed. 

As  Stella  drove  swiftly  up  the  long,  familiar  road  she 
felt  happier  and  more  at  rest  than  she  had  done  for  many 
months.  Life  was  readjusting  itself :  it  was  not  going  to 
be  without  its  interests,  its  ideals,  its  beauty  ! 

Her  heart  gave  a  bound  and  the  vivid  blush  of  youth 
dyed  her  pale  akin,  for  while  passing  at  lightning  speed  a 
West  End  club,  whose  name  she  did  not  know,  she  saw 


214  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

the  figure  of  Michael  Ireton  coming  down  its  front  Bteps. 
The  next  second  he  was  lost  in  the  great  ocean  of  London 
humanity  :  it  was  as  though  she  had  seen  him  in  a  dream. 

But  that  one  flash  of  his  Living  presence  instantly  brought 
back  to  her  her  life  in  Cairo.  It  was  now  the  real  thing ; 
London  was  the  unreal !  For  the  rest  of  her  ride  she  noted 
nothing  of  the  almost  supernatural  movement  of  the 
traffic,  with  it  continuous  roar,  which  only  a  few  moments 
before  had  so  fascinated  her,  or  of  the  familiar  points  in  the 
landscape  of  streets  and  squares  which  had  brought  back 
vivid  memories  of  her  school-girl  life.  The  taxi  stopped 
at  her  door,  while  in  her  mental  condition  she  was  still 
standing  in  the  corridor  of  the  Arab  theatre,  with  Michael 
Ireton' s  big  figure  towering  over  her.  His  last  words  were 
in  her  ears,  and  her  pleading  cry  of  "  Oh,  don't  go,  please 
don't  go  !  "  filling  her  world  of  sound. 


CHAPTER  XXX 

THE  auditorium  of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society  waa 
almost  full  when  Miss  MacNaughtan  and  Stella  entered 
it.  With  some  little  difficulty  they  found  two  seats  in 
one  of  the  upper  rows  of  the  closely-packed  building. 
They  had  scarcely  settled  themselves  before  the  lecturer 
stepped  forward  and  took  his  place  at  a  desk  on  a  slightly- 
raised  dais  in  front  of  the  screen  on  which  the  illustrations 
of  his  subject  were  to  be  projected  by  magic-lantern  slides. 

The  subject  of  the  lecture  was  extremely  interesting, 
and  the  illustrations  were  delightful,  but,  the  speaker  had 
not  the  feeblest  idea  of  how  to  make  his  subject  humanly 
interesting. 

Stella's  thoughts  strayed  from  his  dull  statistics,  while 
her  eyes  wandered  round  the  gathering  of  oddly-assorted 
people.  From  where  she  sat  it  was  almost  impossible  to 
see  the  occupants  of  the  lowest  row  of  seats  in  the  audi- 
torium— the  bench  always  reserved  for  "  The  Fellows  oi 
the  Society  "  and  their  specially  invited  guests. 

When  at  last  the  lecture  was  over  it  was  the  minority 
who  found  their  way  to  the  reception-rooms  at  the  back 
of  the  auditorium,  where  interesting  relics  of  the  Society 
are  shown,  and  the  members  meet  to  discuss  the  lectura 
and  talk  to  their  friends. 

Presently  there  was  a  little  excitement  in  the  reception 
room,  for  the  lecturer  was  entering  it.  He  was  followed 
by  the  well-known  guests  and  Fellows  who  had  been  seated 
in  the  places  of  honour. 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  215 

Stella  was  examining  the  contents  of  a  glass  case  at 
the  far  end  of  the  room,  while  Miss  MacNaughtan  was  sur- 
rounded by  a  number  of  friends  who  were  regular  atten- 
dants at  the  lectures  given  by  the  Society. 

Stella  had  not  watched  the  entry  of  the  distinguished 
members,  she  had  just  lifted  her  head  to  satisfy  herself 
as  to  the  cause  of  the  flutter  amongst  the  audience.  Sud- 
denly she  became  aware  of  a  new  force  in  the  room,  some 
thing  which,  human  or  inhuman,  had  acted  upon  her  senses 
like  a  magnet.  Without  knowing  why,  her  pulses  uncom- 
fortably quickened,  her  sensibilities  became  painfully 
acute  ;  with  such  highly-organised  natures  its  hers,  this 
psychic  experience  is  not  uncommon.  To  shake  off  the 
thraldom  of  the  magnetic  force  she  moved  to  the  next 
glass  case  to  examine  its  contents,  but  she  felt  incapable  of 
intelligent  thought.  The  approach  of  something  whose 
near  presence  seemed  in  a  way  connected  with  her  increas- 
ing nervousness  compelled  her  to  turn  her  head :  she 
could  not  have  resisted  if  she  had  tried.  At  that  moment 
her  whole  being  was  expectant !  The  room  contained 
nothing  but  herself  and  this  new  devastating  force.  Yet 
her  mind  had  not  connected  any  individual  human  being 
with  that  power. 

So  when  Michael  Ireton's  eyes  looked  into  hers  as  she 
turned  what  he  imagined  to  be  eyes  of  welcome  to  him, 
the  shock  made  her  for  a  few  moments  mentally  uncon- 
scious and  physically  powerless. 

To  Stella  hours  seemed  to  pass  before  she  could  say  the 
conventional  "  How  do  you  do  t "  Indeed  she  never 
said  it,  nor  did  Michael  Ireton  think  it  necessary  to  speak. 

The  whole  bearing  of  the  man  was  just  the  same  as  it 
had  been  on  the  first  night  when  she  had  seen  him,  when 
his  dominating  personality  had  drawn  her  eyes  to  him, 
across  the  crowd  of  faces  at  the  opera. 

At  last,  bravely  fighting  for  command  of  her  voice,  she 
said,  scarcely  above  a  whisper,  "  I  didn't  see  you  during 
the  lecture  :  were  you  there  t  " 

He  took  her  nervously  offered  hand  in  an  eager  grasp, 
which  conveyed  to  the  girl  the  sense  of  an  enfolding  em- 
brace. "  Yes,  I  was  there,  and  I  knew  you  were,  though 
I  didn't  see  you." 

She  withdrew  her  hand. 

He  looked  at  her  questioningly.  "  Are  you  .  .  .  ?  "  He 
nesitated  ..."  Are  you  alone  ?  " 

"  No,  I  am  not  alone  !  "  Stella  knew  that  he  meant 
to  say,  "  Is  your  husband  here  f  "  for  the  whole  expression 
of  the  man  told  her  that  he  thought  she  was  married. 
She  turned  her  head  towards  the  talking  people  who  were 


216  A  WIPE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

Bti  iving  to  get  as  near  to  the  celebrated  explorer  as  possible. 
"  I  am  with  my  old  school-mistress,  Miss  MacNaughtan  ; 
Bhe  Is  over  there — that  lady  with  the  beautiful  grey  hair 
and  dark  eyes  " — her  voice  was  gaining  strength. 

"  I  see,"  he  said,  unthinkingly,  for  his  eyes  were  looking 
at  Stella's  hands.  The  white  su£de  gloves  were  inexor- 
able ;  if  she  wore  a  wedding-ring  he  could  not  see  it.  ... 
There  was  a  pregnant  pause  again.  The  burden  of  their 
hearts  was  too  heavy  for  their  lips  to  speak  of  small  things  : 
to  ask  each  other  how  they  were  would  have  been  the 
bitterest  sarcasm  when  they  were  horribly  conscious  that 
it  was  just  of  how  they  were  that  they  dared  not  speak. 

The  girl  saw  that  the  man  had  hardened,  and  yet  had 
not  become  embittered  ;  each  line  on  his  rugged  face  had 
deepened,  each  mark  of  fortitude  grown  surer. 

And  he  saw  in  the  girl,  physically  fragile  as  she  had  be- 
come, a  new  womanhood  far  dearer  and  more  desirable 
than  that  which  had  gone  before.  He  saw  in  her,  as  the 
wife  of  another,  the  only  woman  for  whom  his  manhood  had 
suffered  starvation.  These  impressions  were  the  immediate 
action  of  the  senses,  too  swift  for  words. 

"  I  have  had  no  news  of  you  since  we  parted,"  he  said 
at  last.  "  You  must  have  much  to  tell  me  .  .  .  may 
I  hear  it  ...  t  "  he  looked  at  her  with  gentle  eyes  .  .  . 
"  I  can  bear  it,  dear." 

Stella's  lips  quivered.     "  You  haven't  heard,  you  don't 
know  .  .  ."  she  paused  ..."  of  my  cousin's  death  .  .  . 
and  what  caused  it ;  you  have  heard  nothing  since  .  . 
since  that  night  t  " 

"  I  have  been  out  of  Europe  ;  I  wanted  to  cut  myself 
off  from  all  news  until  .  .  ,"  he  looked  at  her  searchingly  ; 
he  saw  that  she  was  trembling  and  deeply  moved  :  evidently 
there  had  been  some  painful  tragedy  connected  with  her 
cousin's  death.  Stella  made  an  effort  to  tell  him,  but  he 
prevented  her.  "  Not  just  now,"  he  said  gently.  "  Seeing 
me  has  suddenly  recalled  unhappy  memories  :  don't  let  it 
distress  you ;  you  must  tell  me  everything  some  other 
time.  .  .  ."  He  paused  before  asking,  "  May  I  come  and 
see  you  ...  or  would  you  prefer  that  I  did  not  1  " 

His  eyes  assured  her  that  if  he  came  it  would  be  in  no 
manner  that  need  embarrass  her  or  cause  her  husband 
the  slightest  annoyance.  He  waited  a  moment  for  her 
answer. 

Stella  raised  star-like  eyes  to  his — "  you  are  quite  right : 
seeing  you  again  so  unexpectedly  has  brought  back  every- 
thing .  .  .  poor  Girgis !  ...  so  much  has  happened  .  .  . 
far  more  than  you  think  !  " 

"  I  understand,"  he  said  soothingly,  "  you  needn't  «»y 


A  WIFE  OUT  OP  EGYPT  217 

any  more  ...  I  won't  ask  to  come  .  .  .  some  day  per- 
haps, when  things  are  less  vivid  you  will  tell  me  all."  He 
turned  to  go,  but  the  same  cry  came  to  Stella's  lips  that 
had  escaped  them  on  that  awful  night  .  .  .  when  Vernon 
saved  her  father's  life. 

"  Don't  go  !  Oh,  don't  go  ...  it  isn't  that !  "  But 
her  cry  was  unheard,  for  in  a  clear,  loud  voice  some  one 
spoke  to  him,  and  laid  a  white-gloved  hand  on  his  arm  from 
behind.  The  speaker  was  a  beautiful  American  girl,  whose 
quick  glance  took  in  with  some  curiosity  of  expression 
Stella's  unusual  quality  of  good  looks  and  her  fine  individ- 
uality of  dress  :  in  the  peculiar  transparency  of  complex- 
ion and  the  delicacy  of  figure  there  was  something  curiously 
star -like  and  ethereal  about  Stella  when  she  was  in  evening 
dress.  As  the  American  drew  her  eyes  from  her  reluctantly 
she  said  :  "  Oh,  Mr.  Ireton,  at  last  I've  run  you  to  earth  ! 
I  so  much  want  to  introduce  you  to  my  great  friend  Jewel 
Gibson  :  you've  heard  me  speak  of  her  many  times." 

Stella  quickly  turned  away  and  made  a  good  pretence  of 
examining  the  contents  of  the  glass  case  by  which  she  had 
been  standing  when  Michael  Ireton  came  up  to  her.  An 
unconscious  flame  of  jealousy  leapt  through  her  veins  ;  it 
served  to  steady  her  excited  nerves.  She  had  noticed  the 
expression  of  pleasure  that  lit  up  Michael  Ireton's  heavily 
moulded  features  when  he  discovered  who  was  the  owner 
of  the  hand  which  was  put  on  his  arm  to  arrest  his  attention. 

The  girl  was  so  eager  and  radiant  in  the  full  bloom  of 
her  newly  developed  womanhood,  so  wide-browed  and 
clear-eyed,  a  type  of  the  most  enchanting  of  America's 
daughters,  that  compared  with  her  Stella  felt  herself  to  be 
cruelly  seared  and  battered. 

If  only  she  could  have  said  three  more  words,  to  tell  him 
that  she  was  not  married,  he  would  have  understood  the 
real  meaning  of  her  emotion.  He  would  have  known  that 
he  might  come  and  see  her.  But  these  were  the  very  words 
she  knew  that  she  could  never  say  unless  he  deliberately 
asked  her  the  question,  and  there  was  no  mistaking  the 
meaning  of  his  voice  when  he  said,  "  I  understand  ;  you 
need  not  explain." 

He  thought  that  one  of  the  many  things  that  had  happened 
was  her  marriage  with  Vernon,  instead  of  it  being  one  ol 
the  many  things  which  had  not  happened,  as  she  had  meant 
her  words  to  imply.  While  she  watched  him  talking  to 
the  two  girls  her  jealous  eye  imagined  that  Michael  Ireton 
was  fond  of  the  beautiful  girl,  that  he  had  in  all  probability 
and  very  wisely,  thrown  himself  into  an  intimate  friend- 
ship with  her  in  his  desire  to  forget  and  conquer  hia  love 
for  herself. 


218  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

With  a  war  of  conflicting  emotions  tearing  at  her  nerves, 
Stella  sought  Miss  MacNaughtan. 

"  My  dear  child,  you  look  tired  to  death.  What  is  the 
matter  t  " 

"  I  am  dead  tired,"  Stella  said  languidly.  "Do  you 
mind  if  I  go  home  ...  no  ...  don't  let  me  take  you 
away,  I  can  perfectly  well  go  alone." 

As  she  said  the  words  she  wondered  why  she  was  asking 
to  go  when  she  knew  that  her  desire  to  stay  in  the  same 
building  as  Michael  Ireton  for  as  long  as  she  could  was 
greater  than  anything  in  the  world—to  stay,  even  though 
there  was  not  the  faintest  likelihood  of  her  being  able  to 
speak  to  him  again  that  night — to  stay  and  watch  him 
speaking  to  the  beautiful  American  girl,  whose  blue 
eyes  seemed  to  smile  so  trustingly  at  him,  even  though 
watching  them  tore  her  heart  to  pieces. 

As  Miss  MacNaughtan  hurried  Stella  off  to  the  cloak- 
room she  wondered  if  anything  very  unusual  had  occurred, 
or  if  Stella's  present  delicate  state  of  health  was  account- 
able for  this  sudden  avalanche  of  physical  tiredness  which 
had  made  the  girl  look  as  though  a  draught  of  cold  air 
would  blow  her  out.  As  they  opened  the  door,  they  came 
face  to  face  with  Michael  Ireton  !  Then  Miss  MacNaugh- 
tan understood.  He  had  evidently  been  hurrying  so  as 
not  to  miss  them.  A  flush  of  clearest  crimson  dyed  Stella's 
pale  face. 

"  I  couldn't  let  you  go  without  saying  good-bye  .  .  . 
Mrs.  Thorpe,"  he  said.  I  lost  you  in  the  hall.  .  .  .  May 
I  see  you  into  your  taxi,  or  have  you  a  motor  ?  " 

Stella  looked  at  him  gratefully — how  comforting  it  was 
to  feel  that  he  had  not  let  her  drift  out  of  his  life  without 
even  trying  to  find  her  ! — yet  all  she  managed  to  say  was, 
"A  taxi  if  we  can  get  one.  May  I  introduce  you  to  my 
friend,  Miss  MacNaughtan  1  " 

Michael  Ireton  said  cordially,  while  a  smile  of  genuine 
pleasure  lit  up  his  eyes  :  "  I  have  very  often  heard  Mrs. 
Thorpe  speak  of  you  in  Egypt.  I  am  very  glad  to  have  had 
the  chance  of  meeting  you." 

Miss  MacNaughtan  looked  critically  at  this  man  as  he 
spoke.  Did  he  mean  anything  to  Stella  1  Had  a  chance 
meeting  with  him  been  the  cause  of  her  sudden  physical 
tiredness  t  Stella  was  obviously  affected  by  his  appear- 
ance at  the  cloak-room  door,  but  whether  the  girl  liked 
him  or  not  she  was  unable  to  surmise.  Stella  had  fallen 
behind,  driven  by  the  contrary  forces  at  work  in  her  into 
separating  herself  from  Michael  as  far  as  possible.  His 
words  "  Mrs.  Thorpe  "  kept  ringing  in  her  ears.  If  one  of 
the  impulses  that  were  at  work  in  her  could  have  spoken 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  219 

it  would  have  cried  aloud,  "  I  am  Hadassah  Lekejian,  not 
Mrs.  Thorpe.     I  am  free  ;  don't  leave  me." 

A  storm  of  doubt  was  troubling  Miss  MacNaughtan. 
Was  this  one  of  the  crucial  moments  of  Stella's  life  1  Would 
it  add  to  her  happiness  if  she  were  to  toll  this  man 
that  she  was  still  unmarried  f  And  yet,  if  Stella  had 
desired  him  to  know  it,  why  had  she  not  told  him  the  fact 
herself  ?  She  had  talked  to  him  already  that  evening. 
The  older  woman  felt  certain  that  this  chance  encounter 
with  this  very  unusual-looking  man  meant  a  great  deal 
to  her  pupil.  He  had  only  spoken  to  her  about  the  most 
ordinary  matters  for  a  few  moments,  yet  he  had  made 
her  feel  that  to  know  any  one  who  cared  for  Stella  was  a 
pleasure  to  him,  that  whether  she  was  Stella  Thorpe  or 
Stella  Lekejian  his  mind  and  heart  were  full  of  her. 

They  had  to  separate  for  a  moment  while  Michael  Ireton 
hastily  got  his  coat  and  hat ;  still  they  were  too  near 
him  to  allow  her  to  ask  Stella  any  questions.  When  he 
rejoined  them  and  Stella  had  again  given  up  her  place  at 
his  side  to  her  chaperon,  Miss  MacNaughtan  suddenly 
said,  as  an  empty  taxi  drew  up  for  them  : 

"  My  old  pupil  is  still  Stella  Adair,  as  we  used  to  call 
her — you  have  not  apparently  heard  that  she  did  not 
marry  Vernon  Thorpe  .  .  .  her  cousin's  tragic  death 
broke  off  their  engagement." 

"Not  married  1"  A  flash  of  almost  boyish  happiness 
lit  up  his  strong  face  and  opened  Miss  MacNaughtan's 
heart  to  him  for  ever  :  it  told  her  all  that  she  wanted  to 
know  about  the  character  and  personality  of  this  man  whom 
she  now  know,  loved,  with  the  simplicity  and  unchanging- 
ness  of  a  big  man's  nature,  her  old  pupil. 

"  They  were  not  suited  to  each  other,"  she  said  in  a 
lower  tone  ;  "  everything  is  better  as  it  is." 

"  Thank  you  for  telling  me,"  he  said. 

The  impatient  porter  had  now  opened  the  taxi  door. 
Stella  said  mechanically,  "  Naughtie,  are  you  ready  t  " 

"  Yes,  I'm  coming." 

Michael  Ireton  was  shaking  hands  with  her ;  Stella 
heard  him  say,  "  Thank  you  for  telling  me."  She  could  see 
by  his  face  that  he  knew  she  was  free.  The  next  moment 
Miss  MacNaughtan  was  seated  in  the  taxi,  and  Michael 
Ireton  was  waiting  for  her  to  shake  hands  with  him  and 
take  her  place  in  the  cab. 

As  she  put  her  foot  on  the  step,  she  held  out  hei 
hand. 

He  took  it  with  a  clasp  whic\i  to  the  girl  was  deliciously 
expressive  of  possession  ;  he  meant  her  to  understand  that 
she  was  his.  "  Ma  as  salamah  "  (good-bye),  he  said  ten 


220  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

derly,  "  wa  ateJcum  essalam  wa-baralcat  Allah  "  (and  on  you 
be  the  peace  and  the  blessing  of  God). 

He  used  the  familiar  Arabic  words  intentionally  :  He 
wished  to  show  her  plainly  that  her  connection  with  the 
East  was  a  pleasant  memory  to  him. 

As  Stella  answered  his  compelling  gaze  with  eyes  which 
denied  him  no  expression  of  her  love,  she  said  softly  : 
"  Tkattan  Allah  (thank  you),  Michael,  ma  as  salamah " 
(good-bye).  .  .  .  The  words  meant  literally,  "  May  God 
increase  your  goodness  :  good-bye." 

The  next  moment  Stella's  hand  was  withdrawn,  she 
was  seated  by  Miss  MacNaughtan's  side,  the  taxi  door  was 
slammed,  and  they  had  moved  quickly  off  into  the  night. 

As  Michael  Ireton  stood  alone  on  the  kerbstone  watching 
their  disappearance,  he  suddenly  remembered  that  he 
had  let  her  go  without  asking  her  where  she  lived.  Nor 
had  he  heard  any  direction  given  to  the  driver,  for  in  hi  a 
mind's  eyes  he  could  see  Miss  MacNaughtan  raise  the 
speaking-tube  to  her  lips  and  give  the  driver  his  instruc- 
tions while  he  was  saying  good-bye  to  Stella.  He  made 
ready  to  jump  into  the  next  taxi  that  pulled  up  ;  but  an 
elderly  lady  had  hailed  it  and  quickly  took  possession 
of  it. 

Stella  was  completely  lost  to  him  in  the  millions  of  souls 
living  in  London. 

Defeated  in  his  attempt  to  follow  her,  he  walked  slowly  on, 
his  whole  being  still  on  fire  with  the  memory  of  the  un- 
grudging love  Hadassah  had  offered  to  him  in  her  eyes. 
Even  though  she  was  lost  in  London,  he  knew  she  was  his 
absolutely.  Every  sense  in  him  at  that  moment  told  him 
that  Stella  was  even  now  rejoicing  in  his  love  for 
her ;  under  such  circumstances  nothing  else  seemed  to 
matter,  nothing  was  insurmountable.  She  was  free  to 
give  herself  to  him  when  he  found  her,  and  find  her  he  would. 
He  did  not  know  that  he  had  but  one  day  to  do  it  in,  for 
Stella  was  leaving  London  for  Lucerne  the  day  after. 

As  he  walked  on,  not  taking  the  trouble  to  ask  himself 
where  he  was  going,  he  thought  of  every  possible  means 
of  discovering  her  whereabouts.  Often  as  he  had  heard 
Stella  allude  to  her  old  school -days  in  London,  he  had  no 
recollection  of  ever  having  heard  her  mention  where  her 
school  was  situated.  He  wondered  if  Miss  MacNaughtan 
Was  a  member  of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society,  or  if 
she  was  using  some  friend's  tickets  for  the  lecture ;  he 
must  look  up  the  list  of  members  the  next  morning. 

In  going  over  the  events  of  the  evening,  he  realised  that 
Hadassah  had  been  trying  to  tell  him  that  she  was  not 
married,  that  she  had  not  meant  to  tell  him  not  to  oome, 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  22] 

that  seeing  him  so  suddenly  had  upset  her — it  had  brought 
baok  to  her  all  the  painful  events  of  their  last  meeting. 

Then  doubts  attacked  him.  Even  now  that  she  was 
free,  would  she  have  allowed  him  to  come  and  see  her — 
had  she  only  given  him  that  parting  look  of  love  because 
she  knew  that  he  would  not  find  her  ?  With  her  hyper- 
sensitive nature  she  might  think  it  was  her  duty,  con- 
sidering her  social  position  in  Cairo,  to  prevent  him  marry- 
ing her. 

As  he  thought  of  the  delicacy  of  her  appearance,  a  fierce 
desire  to  hold  her  closely  to  him  overwhelmed  him.  Her 
exquisite  fragility  appealed  to  every  chord  of  strength  in 
his  muscular  body. 

It  was  a  beautiful  night,  almost  Italian  in  the  warmth 
of  the  air  and  the  violet  tone  of  the  sky.  Michael  Ireton, 
wandered  on,  following  unconsciously  the  demand  in  hia 
present  mood  for  the  sympathy  of  beautiful  surroundings, 
and  he  found  himself  crossing  the  bridge  which  spans  the 
artificial  lake  in  St.  James's  Park.  There  he  stopped. 
The  outline  of  the  Government  buildings  at  the  West- 
minister end  of  the  water,  so  curiously  Oriental  in  effect 
against  the  purple  of  the  night  sky,  seemed  to  be  the  very 
atmosphere  for  the  crisis  in  his  life,  into  which  he  had 
been  unconsciously  drawn.  Though  Hadassah  was  lost 
to  him  in  the  great  city  whose  very  pulse  beat  he  could 
feel  where  he  stood,  as  totally  lost  to  him  as  he  had  seemed 
to  her  only  a  few  hours  before,  he  no  longer  felt  alone  in 
London. 

He  had  no  desire  now  to  leave  the  next  morning.  His 
one  idea  was  to  remain — remain  until  he  had  found  her. 

For  many  years  Michael  Ireton  had  lived  a  life  almost 
devoid  of  the  society  of  women,  for  his  profession  had 
taken  him  into  distant  parts  of  the  world,  where  primitive 
natives  were  the  only  women  he  saw.  He  had  led  too 
exciting  and  too  busy  an  existence  to  miss  their  compan- 
ionship, and  during  the  months  which  he  had  spent  at 
home  he  had,  until  only  a  few  years  ago,  stayed  with  a  very 
aged  grand  -uncle  who  had  brought  him  up  in  a  desolate 
village  in  Wales.  The  old  man  had  died  the  year  before 
Ireton  first  saw  Stella,  but  he  had  lived  long  enough  to 
see  his  nephew — for  whom  he  had  stinted  and  saved  during 
his  public -school  life  and  all  through  the  years  he  had 
spent  in  training  for  his  life  as  a  mining  engineer — a  suc- 
cessful and  highly-paid  member  of  his  profession.  In  re- 
turn, Michael  had  devoted  every  day  of  his  sojourns  in 
England  to  his  uncle,  guarding,  and  administering  to  his 
smallest  wants  with  the  tenderness  and  unselfishness  ol 


222  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

a  woman.  Every  luxury  the  enfeebled  old  man  could 
enjoy  Michael  gloried  in  procuring  for  him,  and  he  was  able 
to  do  so,  for  he  had,  as  Nicolas  imagined,  speculated  suc- 
cessfully in  rubber.  He  never  grudged  one  of  the  long 
hours  he  spent  sitting  beside  the  invalid's  chair,  telling  him 
about  the  minutest  details  of  his  last  expedition. 

To-night  he  could  not  return  to  his  room  in  his  club, 
for  to-night  had  given  Stella  back  to  him,  and  he  did  not 
wish  to  lose  one  moment's  consciousness  of  the  fact. 

He  never  doubted  the  possibility  of  finding  her  :  it  was 
merely  a  matter  of  time  and  patience.  Now  that  she 
was  free,  nothing  really  mattered,  nothing  was  insur- 
mountable. If  he  could  not  find  her  in  London,  he  would 
write  to  her  father's  address  in  Cairo,  and  tell  his  clerk 
to  forward  his  letter  to  his  mistress. 

Then  a  fresh  anger  at  his  own  stupidity  disturbed  him. 
Why  had  he  allowed  her  to  go  without  getting  her  address  t 
If  only  he  had  had  his  wits  about  him  he  could  have  gone 
to  her  in  the  morning  and  taken  her  into  his  arms.  To- 
morrow he  might  have  felt  her  first  kisses  on  his  lips,  her  slim 
arms  round  his  neck.  He  became  so  impatient  at  the 
thought  that  he  had  to  walk  up  and  down  the  length  of 
the  bridge  to  calm  his  restlessness.  As  he  returned 
to  the  place  he  had  been  leaning  over,  a  woman  wrapped 
in  a  tattered  black  shawl  crept  up  to  him  and  held  out  her 
hand.  He  dismissed  her  instantly.  .  .  .  The  woman 
moved  away — her  obedience  was  expressive  of  absolute 
hopelessness  ;  Michael  Ireton  called  her  back.  Her  tragic 
eyes  were  like  Stella's,  he  could  not  let  her  go  !  In  hia 
hand  were  a  handful  of  coins,  silver  and  copper  :  he  held 
them  out  to  her.  The  woman  looked  at  him  quickly  to 
see  if  he  was  drunk,  then  seized  the  proffered  money  with  a 
quick,  bird-like  claw,  and  fled  into  the  night. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

NEXT  morning  Michael  began  his  search  for  Stella.  His 
only  hope  of  finding  her,  by  direct  means,  lay  in  the  chance 
that  Miss  MacNaughtan  was  a  member  of  the  Royal 
Geographical  Society. 

Soon  after  ten  o'clock  he  was  in  the  secretary's  office, 
and  after  a  good  half-hour's  impatient  waiting  he  had  the 
list  of  the  members  in  front  of  him.  Never,  since  the 
days  when  he  had  eagerly  looked  to  see  if  his  own  name 
was  amongst  the  successful  competitors  in  his  engineering 
examinations,  had  he  felt  so  agitated  or  nervous  in  reading 
through  a  list  of  names.  Twice  his  heart  seemed  to  stop 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  223 

beating,  when  he  came  across  the  word  MacNaughtan, 
but  it  was  only  a  momentary  thrill,  for  in  both  cases  the 
members  were  males.  With  a  defeated  sigh  he  threw  down 
the  list :  there  was  no  Miss  MacNaughtan  amongst  the 
members.  His  next  plan  of  action  was  to  spend  the  en- 
tire morning  in  inspecting  the  fashionable  shops  where  he 
thought  wealthy  girls  like  Stella  would  be  likely  to  go. 

He  first  chose  Landwools  at  Knightsbridge,  because  the 
Bhop  was  associated  in  his  mind  with  the  most  beautiful 
Englishwomen  he  had  seen  on  his  return  from  savage  lands. 
He  took  it  for  granted  that  almost  every  woman  spent 
her  mornings  in  London  shopping.  With  the  ingenuity 
born  of  love,  he  managed  to  find  some  excuse  for  walking 
through  a  greater  part  of  the  buildings.  Downstairs,  charm- 
ing girls  and  sumptuously-dressed  women  were  selecting 
gloves  and  stockings  and  laces,  and  feminine  fripperies  of 
all  sorts,  the  cost  of  which  would  have  appalled  Michael 
Ireton's  simple  bachelor  soul.  Upstairs  the  same 
class  of  luxurious  shoppers  were  sitting  on  comfortable 
lounges  watching  young  girls  parade  up  and  down  the  show- 
rooms in  model  gowns. 

Michael  I  ret  on  was  too  embarrassed  to  do  more  than 
glance  at  these  lovely  creatures,  whose  faces  appeared  to 
him  too  delicate  and  too  unreal  to  be  human. 

Disappointed  but  not  defeated,  he  went  to  Harrods. 
By  purchasing  some  small  articles  here  and  there  he  was  at 
liberty  to  walk  about  the  various  departments  of  the  popular 
stores.  It  seemed  to  him  that  he  had  as  good  a  chance 
of  seeing  Stella  there  as  of  not  seeing  her.  But  she  was 
not  at  Harrods,  so  he  betook  himself  to  the  Army  and 
Navy  Stores  in  Victoria  Street,  where  his  perseverance 
was  instantly  rewarded,  for  who  should  he  meet  coming 
down  the  steps  of  the  building  into  the  street  but  Miss  Mac- 
Naughtan ! 

Michael  Ireton  lifted  his  hat  and  stopped  abruptly  in 
front  of  her,  but  she  slipped  past  him  and  hurried  on.  A 
taxi-cab  was  waiting  for  her  at  the  foot  of  the  steps. 

"  Good  morning,"  the  said  as  she  passed  him  ;  "  so  sorry 
I  have  no  time  to  speak  just  now — I  must  get  to  Victoria 
Station  by  twelve  o'clock." 

As  she  stepped  into  her  taxi  Michael  Ireton,  who  had 
followed  her,  said,  "  Tell  me  your  address  :  I  must  see  you." 

"  233,  Prince's  Gate,  Kensington."  But  as  she  said  the 
words  a  private  motor  car,  with  a  whistle  like  a  train, 
passed.  As  its  whistle  rent  the  air  her  address  was  swal- 
lowed up  in  its  arrogant  roar. 

Michael  cursed  the  thing  with  a  gorgeous  energy.  A  taxi- 
Cftb,  passing  at  the  same  moment,  stopped — he  had  hailed 


224  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

it — and  as  he  jumped  in  he  said  to  the  driver,  "  Do  you  gee 
that  taxi  passing  that  lorry  covered  with  green  tarpaulin  f 
If  you  can  overtake  it  before  we  get  to  Victoria  Station, 
or  don't  lose  sight  of  it  when  it  arrives  there,  I'll  give  you 
a  sovereign." 

The  next  moment  they  were  off,  and  the  race  began. 
Michael  Ireton  strained  his  eyes  to  keep  the  taxi  ahead 
of  them  well  in  sight :  it  had  only  had  the  start  of  him  by 
about  a  minute,  and  at  the  moment  the  street  was  sin- 
gularly clear.  His  taxi  was  gaining  ground,  they  would  soon 
be  abreast  of  Miss  MacNaughtan !  The  next  moment 
something  in  the  inner  mechanism  of  the  machine  jammed 
and  they  came  to  a  dead  halt.  The  driver  jumped  off  his 
seat  and  opened  the  door.  "  Here  you  are,  sir,  get  into 
this  one  " — another  taxi  was  within  a  yard  of  him — "  and 
give  my  pal  the  quid  :  he'll  do  it  for  you." 

"  Don't  lose  sight  of  that  'ere  taxi — it's  going  to  Victoria 
Station  ;  this  gent  wants  to  catch  it  up — he's  good  for  a 
quid." 

They  were  off  again,  but  by  this  time  Miss  MacNaughtan's 
taxi  was  lost  in  the  crowd  of  other  cabs  and  motors  which 
were  pressing  their  way  into  the  station  yard  :  at  least  it 
was  lost  to  Michael,  who  felt  convinced  that  the  driver 
too  had  failed  to  keep  his  eye  on  it.  But  he  was  wrong. 
To  arrive  at  the  station  entrance  by  keeping  in  the  order 
of  the  long  line  of  vehicles  would  have  meant  missing  Miss 
MacNaughtan  when  she  got  out  of  one  of  the  front  taxis, 
so  Michael  jumped  out  of  his  when  it  was  about  the  eighth 
in  order  from  the  one  which  was  being  unloaded  of  its 
luggage  by  the  porters. 

He  watched  the  occupants  of  the  five  taxis,  which,  with 
three  private  cars,  made  up  the  line  of  eight  which  was  in 
front  of  him.  Miss  MacNaughtan  was  not  in  any  of  them. 
He  returned  to  his  driver,  who  had  agreed  to  wait  until 
he  had  found  his  friend  :  "  We've  lost  it ;  I  can't  find  my 
friend." 

"  No,  we  'av'n't,  sir.  I  thought  I  was  right :  a  lady  got 
out  of  the  taxi  we  was  following  so  quick  that  I  wasn't 
sure  if  I  was  mistaken.  She  didn't  stop  to  pay  the  man, 
but  ran  as  quick  as  a  girl — but  she  wasn't  a  girl,  sir.  Was 
that  who  you'd  be  looking  for  t  Had  she  on  a  grey  coat, 
sir  t " 

Michael  Ireton  put  his  hand  in  his  pocket  and  drew  out 
half  a  crown  :  "  Take  that,"  he  said,  "  and  wait  a  few 
moments  :  I  hope  I'll  have  to  give  you  the  sovereign." 

If  Miss  MacNaughtan  was  leaving  London  by  a  train 
that  started  at  twelve  o'clock,  he  had  lost  her  ;  if  she  was 
only  going  to  see  some  friend  off  by  a  train  leaving  at 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  225 

that  hour,  there  was  hope  that  he  might  meet  her.  He 
would  wait  to  see  if  she  came  out,  trusting  to  luck  that  she 
would  leave  the  station  by  the  same  exit  as  she  entered, 
which  was  likely,  as  she  had  not  paid  for  her  cab. 

Wondering  what  he  had  better  do  if  he  did  not  meet 
her,  he  walked  into  the  busy  station.  It  was  seven 
minutes  past  twelve.  He  stopped  under  the  big  clock. 
As  his  eyes  dropped  from  looking  at  its  face  they  suddenly 
met  the  laughing  and  kindly  eyes  of  Miss  MacNaughtan 
staring  at  him. 

He  rushed  eagerly  forward  and  said,  "  Ah !  I've  found 
you." 

"So  it  seems,"  she  said,  still  beaming  with  humour. 
"  And  now  that  I've  found  you  I'm  not  going  to  let 
you  out  of  my  sight  until  you  have  told  me  where  you 
live." 

"  My  address  !  "  she  said,  "  why,  I  called  it  out  to  you 
from  the  taxi." 

"  I  couldn't  hear  it.     I've  been  searching  for  you  all  the 
morning — don't  laugh,  indeed  I  have  ;  it  is  the  greatest 
stroke  of  luck  that  I  have  found  you  now." 
"  Looking  for  me  ?  " 

"  Yes,  for  you,  because  you  can  tell  me  where  Miss  Leke- 
jian  lives :  I  let  you  go  away  last  night  without  getting  your 
address  or  hers." 

"  Does  Stella  wish  you  to  know  it  1  " 
"  I  think  so.     I  made  a  mistake  last  night — I  thought 
she  was  married.     When  you  told  me  she  wasn't  ...  I 
forgot  everything  else." 

They  had  reached  the  station  exit,  so  Miss  MacNaughtan 
said  quickly,  "  If  you  have  had  time  to  look  for  me  all  over 
London,  you  must  have  time  to  drive  with  me  while  we  talk 
.  .  ."  she  smiled  good-naturedly  ...  "we  can't  speak 
here,  can  we  1  " 

At  that  moment  the  taxi-driver  who  had  been  waiting 
for  Michael  Ireton's  return  came  up.  "  Begging  your 
pardon,  sir,  is  that  the  lady  you  wanted  T  " 

Michael  Ireton  put  his  hand  in  his  pocket  and  took  out 
his  sovereign  purse.  Miss  MacNaughtan  watched  him 
with  a  fine  light  of  appreciation  twinkling  in  her  eyes. 
When  he  had  taken  a  pound  out  of  its  neatly  fitting  abode 
he  said :  "  You're  welcome  to  it :  it's  the  best-spent 
sovereign  I've  ever  parted  with  in  London." 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  the  man  said  ;  "  good  luck  to  you." 
He  was  wondering  in  his  heart  as  he  spoke  why  the  fine- 
looking  gentleman's  queer  eyes  glowed  with  happiness 
because  he  had  met  the  grey-haired  lady  who  was  certainly 
old  enough  to  be  his  aunt, 


226  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

When  they  were  comfortably  settled  in  the  taxi,  Miss 
MacNaughtan  said,  with  the  air  of  frankness  which  was 
her  most  characteristic  quality  and  charm,  "  I'm  afraid 
you'll  be  terribly  disappointed  when  I  tell  you  that  I 
was  one  minute  too  late  to  say  good-bye  to  Stella  .  .  . 
she  has  gone  to  Switzerland." 

"  Gone  to  Switzerland  t  What  ghastly  luck  !  Do  you 
know  her  address  1  "  His  eyes  pleaded. 

"  Yes,  but  are  you  certain  she  would  like  you  to  have 
it  ?  Have  I  any  right  to  give  it  !  You  spoke  to  her  last 
night — why  didn't  you  ask  her  for  it  ?  " 

"  I  did." 

"  And  she  refused  .  .  .  then  I  can't." 

"  No,  I  know  now  that  she  didn't  refuse,  I  thought  she 
did  .  .  .  she  was  upset  by  seeing  me." 

Miss  MacNaughtan  put  her  hand  lightly  on  his  arm. 
"  I  think  we  must  be  frank  with  each  other.  ...  I  love 
Stella — I  brought  her  up  ;  she  is  almost  my  own  child." 

"  And  I  love  her  too  ;  I  loved  her  from  the  first  moment 
I  saw  her  .  .  .  how  can  I  make  you  believe  that  she  is  the 
only  woman  I  have  ever  loved  ?  " 

Miss  MacNaughtan  smiled  at  his  direct  avowal ;  she  liked 
the  man  for  his  simplicity  of  speech  and  determination. 
"  I  thought  as  much,"  she  said  :  her  eyes  were  smiling 
contentedly.  "  You  behave  like  a  man  in  love,"  she  said, 
"  but  I  like  you  none  the  less  for  it."  Her  eyes  laughed 
indulgently  as  she  spoke.  At  the  same  moment  the  taxi 
pulled  up  at  her  own  door,  and  Michael  Ireton's  heart  went 
into  his  boots.  Was  she  going  to  send  him  oft  without  the 
coveted  address  ?  She  was  kind,  but  she  was  tactfully 
evasive. 

It  was  one  of  Miss  MacNaughton's  extravagances  to 
hire  taxis  from  the  garage  nearest  to  her  house  and  keep 
them  waiting  for  her  for  hours.  When  her  huge  account 
came  in  at  the  end  of  the  year  she  smiled  and  congratu- 
lated herself  on  the  fact  that  it  was  not  as  big  as  the  cost 
of  the  upkeep  of  a  motor  would  be,  and  there  are  times 
when  your  motor  is  under  repair  ! 

"  Won't  you  come  in  T  "  she  said,  "  I'm  inquisitive.  I 
want  to  know  more  of  the  man  who  is  going  to  follow  my 
child  to  Switzerland  .  .  ."  she  paused,  "  shall  I  say  it  T  ... 
of  the  man  who  had  the  power  to  upset  her  so  last  night." 

"  May  I  come  in  t  ...  Oh,  thank  you  ...  I  should 
like  to  see  the  home  Hadassah  loved  so  much." 

"  You  call  her  Hadassah  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  prefer  the  old  Eastern  form  of  the  name 
•  Esther.'  " 

They  were  in  the  hall  by  this  time,  and  Miss  MacNaughtan 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  227 

turned  to  him  with  one  of  her  impetuous  movements.  "  I 
think  I  know  why  you  prefer  to  call  her  Hadassah.  .  .  . 
I'm  glad  of  it  .  .  ." 

He  did  not  speak  ;  he  was  following  her  upstairs. 

"  Clarkson  !  "     Miss  MacNaughton  called  out. 

"  Yes,  mum." 

"  I  want  lunch  for  two  in  the  library.  Tell  Miss  Bateson 
not  to  wait  for  me — let  them  begin  their  lunch  at  once." 
She  turned  to  Michael :  "  You  can  stay  and  have  a  scrap 
of  lunch  with  me  in  my  study.  I  have  a  lecture  at  2.40, 
until  then  we  can  talk.  Are  you  free  ?  " 

Michael  Ireton  was  looking  round  the  room  ;  he  was 
feeling  Stella's  near  presence,  he  was  thinking  of  the  years 
she  had  passed  in  an  atmosphere  like  this,  of  beauty  and 
refinement.  He  had  never  been  in  her  Arab  home  in  Cairo, 
so  he  did  not  know  that  the  girl's  whole  life  had  been  spent 
in  the  midst  of  beauty.  "  What  charming  surroundings  for 
a  girl  like  Hadassah  to  be  brought  up  in  !"  he  said  ;  "  what 
an  ideal  school !  " — he  smiled — "  but  is  it  a  school  really  t  " 

"  Yes,  truly.  It  is  one  of  my  hobbies  to  instil  the  love 
of  beauty  into  girls  when  they  are  young.  I  have  an  idea 
that  if  they  really  worship  beauty  they  will  be  disgusted 
by  all  that  is  unlovely."  Her  eyes  expressed  the  fuller 
meaning  of  her  words. 

"  I  quite  agree  with  you  :  Hadassah  is  an  excellent  illus- 
tration of  your  theory." 

"  Luncheon  is  served,  mum."  It  was  Clarkson's  voice 
that  interrupted  them. 

When  they  were  eating  their  admirably  cooked  soles 
Michael  Ireton  said  :  "  It  is  very  kind  of  you  to  let  me 
do  this." 

"  Do  what  ?     Eat  your  lunch  with  me  !  " 

"  Yes,  I  am  practically  a  stranger  to  you  !  " 

"That's  the  very  reason  why  I  asked  you,"  she  said 
"  I  want  to  know  you." 

"  I  see,"  he  said  :  "  all  the  same  it's  very  kind  of  you  : 
you  might  have  turned  me  off — it  gives  me  hope." 

"  Like  a  severe  schoolmistress." 

He  smiled,  the  smile  which  made  the  woman  like  him 
still  more. 

"  I  will  tell  you  Stella's  address,"  she  said,  "  if  you  will 
explain  why  you  thought  she  refused  it  to  you  last  night." 

"  When  I  met  her  last  night  I  thought  she  was  married. 
...  I  mistook  her  emotion  when  I  asked  her  if  I  might 
come  and  see  her  for  refusal.  ...  I  don't  know  why  she 
was  so  upset  by  seeing  me  :  she  said  a  great  many  dreadful 
things  had  happened  since  we  had  met  last.  Can  you  tell 
me  1  " 


228  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

"  You  don't  know,  perhaps,  about  her  cousin  Girgis 
Boutros's  tragic  death  f — it  has  changed  her  whole  life." 

"Is  he  dead  t  .  .  .  that  magnificent  fellow  .  .  .  what 
happened  1  ...  was  there  some  tragedy  t  ...  he  was 
very  unlike  the  usual  native." 

While  Miss  MacNaughtan  told  him  the  story  of  Girgis'fl 
death,  Michael  Ireton  remained  silent.  When  she  had 
finished  he  said  :  "  You  don't  think  Hadassah  ever  loved 
him  t  "  His  voice  broke  slightly  as  he  spoke  ;  the  woman's 
heart  was  touched  for  the  man's  fear. 

"  No,  oh  no  !  He  was  her  cousin,  but  .  .  .  well,  how 
can  I  explain  everything  1 " 

"  I  know,"  he  said  ;  "  I  thought  not,  I  hoped  not." 

There  was  silence  for  a  moment. 

"  You  said  his  death  had  something  to  do  with  her 
engagement  with  Vernon  Thorpe  being  broken  off  t  " 

"  Yes,  it  was  the  loophole  for  her  escape  !  She  had  fallen 
out  of  love  with  him  long  before  Girgis's  death  t  Every 
woman  loves  being  adored,  and  in  England,  at  any  rate 
Vernon  adored  her.  .  .  .  The  dullest  sort  of  Englishman 
have  quite  a  gift  for  love-making — that  is  to  say,  love- 
making  when  things  are  on  the  footing  of  intimate  court- 
ship .  .  .  and  he  is  very  good-looking."  They  both 
laughed. 

"  Your  cult  of  the  beautiful,  bearing  fruit — his  beauty 
made  her  love  him." 

"  Yes,  but  his  mind  ...  is  it  beautiful  t  " 

"  I  don't  know,  I  know  nothing  about  him  .  .  .  but 
what  earthly  chance  have  I  compared  to  him  f  .  .  .  and 
yet  .  .  ."  he  looked  across  the  table  eagerly  at  his  com- 
panion, "  I  will  be  truthful.  Before  I  knew  she  was  engaged 
I  though  I  had  a  chance  ;  after  she  told  me,  of  course  I 
realised  that  ours  must  be  merely  an  intellectual  affinity. 
.  .  ."  He  thought  for  a  moment.  "  Later  on  in  Cairo, 
the  last  time  I  saw  her,  I  fancied  she  cared,  but  it  could 
only  have  been  that  she  was  troubled,  that  she  leaned  on 
me  as  a  friend.  .  .  .  You  who  know  her  so  well,  will  you 
be  brutally  frank  and  tell  me  if  I've  any  chance.  .  .  . 
God  knows  I  adore  her  truly  ;  you  needn't  be  afraid  to 
tell  me  the  truth  ...  I  left  her  when  I  thought  it  was  for 
her  happiness,  I  can  leave  her  again.  ...  I  hope  I  love 
her  well  enough  to  think  of  her  happiness  first." 

"  I  think  you  have  a  chance."  she  said,  "  because  yon  are 
persistent  and  insistent,  and  because  you  evidently  are 
more  than  negative  to  her  :  your  sudden  appearance  upset 
her  to  a  very  great  extent  last  night. 

"  It  ruay  have  been  that  I  reminded  her  of  our  last 
meeting,  at  which  the  accident  happened  to  Mr.  Thorpe 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  229 

when  he  saved  her  father's  life."  As  he  spoke  he  remem- 
bered Stella's  cry  of  "  Stay,  don't  go  !  I  want  you." 

"  Don't  be  down -hearted,"  Miss  MacNaughtan  said 
lightly  :  "  Yesterday  afternoon  I  did  not  think  Stella  was 
in  love  with  anyone,  in  fact  she  was  very  much  out  of  love 
with  every  one  ;  she  was  delighted  that  she  had  escaped 
from  the  trammels  of  love  ;  she  was  congratulating  her- 
self on  the  fact  that  she  could  now  carry  put  her  scheme  of 
work  in  Egypt  .  .  .  has  she  ever  mentioned  it  to  you  t 
But  she  is  looking  very  ill  ...  I  feel  quite  anxious  about 
her  .  .  .  she  has  gone  through  so  much." 

Michael  Ireton's  mind  was  concentrated  on  the  scheme 
of  work  Stella  had  once  laid  before  him.  "  She  has  spoken 
of  her  desire  to  work  amongst  the  women." 

"  Then  you  are  more  than  a  mere  ordinary  friend  :  there 
are  things  we  only  tell  to  people  we  care  for,  even  if  these 
things  are  no  secrets." 

"  I  want  to  help  her  in  that  work  and  I  want  her  to  know 
that  .  .  .  will  you  tell  her  ?  " 

"  You  would  live  with  her  in  Cairo  t  " 

"  Certainly — why  not  t  ...  if  she  knows  me  at  all  she 
knows  I  would,"  his  face  rolled  into  smiles  ..."  where 
wouldn't  I  li ve  with  her,  I  should  like  to  know  ?  It  would 
be  a  strange  place." 

Miss  MacNaughtan  laughed.  "  You  are  very  thorough- 
going about  it,"  she  said  ;  "  it  is  rather  refreshing  in  these 
unromantio  days." 

"  I  fell  in  love  with  her  at  first  sight ;  I  would  have 
married  her  the  next  day  if  I  could.  You  may  think  me 
mad  or  anything  else  you  like,  but  I'm  not.  I  am  simply 
determined  to  win  ...  I  have  seldom  been  defeated." 

"  Love  is  madness,"  Miss  MacNaughtan  said,  "  a  beauti- 
ful madness,  but  still  a  pronounced  form  of  mania."  She 
looked  at  her  wrist-watch.  "  I  must  go  soon — I  have  a 
history  lecture  at  2.40.  .  .  ."  She  rose  to  go. 

"  One  minute,"  he  said.  "  you  didn't  finish  what  you  were 
saying  :  I  interrupted  you." 

"  Saying  !     What  about  f  " 

"  You  said  that  in  the  afternoon  you  were  convinced  that 
Hadassah  was  heart-whole  .  .  .  did  you  not  think  so  ... 
later  on  ...  after  we  met  in  the  evening  1 " 

"  After  she  met  you,  do  you  mean  t  " 

"  Yes,  I  mean  that  .  .  .  you  began  your  sentence  as  if 
you  were  going  to  say  something  about  a  change  in  your 
opinions." 

Miss  MacNaughtan  looked  at  him  with  serious  eyes. 
"  Would  it  be  fair  to  Stella  to  say  what  I  thought  1  "  she 
asked.  ..."  Go  and  try  your  luck  .  .  .  they  are  going 


230  A  WIFE  OUT  OP  EGYPT 

to  Lucerne  if  they  find  it  suits  her  father  .  .  .  you  know 
that  he  is  very  ill.  They  are  going  to  stay  at  the 
Schweitzerhof  Hotel  for  a  month." 

The  moment  he  heard  the  address  Michael  Ireton  had 
the  air  of  a  man  ready  for  instant  flight. 

Miss  MacNaughtan  held  out  her  hand.  "  Now  be  oft 
with  you  :  I  know  you  mean  to  catch  the  night  boat  from 
Dover,  and  I  have  to  interest  my  girls  in  the  Seventh 
Crusade." 

"  Good-bye,"  he  said  ;  "  wish  me  good  luck  in  my  first 
crusade  of  Love." 

"You  have  my  best  wishes,"  she  said,  "  but  go  gently, 
for  at  the  present  moment  your  Hadassah  is  sick  of  love." 

CHAPTER  XXXII 

IN  the  evening  of  the  day  following  Michael  Ireton  walked 
into  the  Schweitzerhof  Hotel  at  Lucerne.  He  had  travelled 
without  stopping  since  three  o'clock  the  day  before,  but 
he  was  as  spotlessly  clean  and  carefully  dressed  as  though 
he  had  been  leading  an  idle  and  luxurious  life  in  the  fashion- 
able Swiss  resort  for  weeks.  He  had  driven  from  the 
station  to  a  smaller  hotel,  where  he  had  engaged  a  room  for 
one  day  ;  there  he  had  deposited  his  luggage  and  changed 
his  travel -stained  clothes  and  had  had  a  bath.  He  was 
boyishly  fastidious  about  his  appearance  before  presenting 
himself  to  the  Lekejians. 

In  the  hall  of  the  hotel  he  asked  to  see  the  visitors' 
book  ;  he  examined  the  list  of  people  staying  in  the  hotel 
very  carefully.  The  Lekejians'  name  was  not  amongst 
them.  His  mood  of  confidence  changed  to  one  of  doubt. 

He  went  to  the  large  letter -rack  which  hung  on  the  wall 
and  scanned  the  addresses  of  the  letters  awaiting  the 
arrival  of  coming  travellers  ;  there  was  nothing  in  the  rack 
addressed  to  any  one  of  the  Lekejian  family.  With  a 
feeling  of  approaching  defeat,  he  went  to  the  booking-office 
and  asked  ii  a  family  called  Lekejian,  the  friends  with 
whom  he  had  come  to  stay,  were  in  the  hotel. 

The  clerk  looked  up.  "  What  name,  sir  t  Did  you  say 
Lekejian  t  No,  sir  ;  they  were  expected  this  morning,  but 
we  had  a  telegram  last  night  cancelling  their  rooms  .  .  . 
they  have  not  left  England  on  account  of  illness — Mr. 
Lekejian  is  very  ill.  He  has  stayed  here  many  times,  sir ; 
we  are  extremely  sorry." 

"  Thank  you,"  Michael  Ireton  said.  "  Do  you  know 
where  they  are  staying  in  England  ?  " 

The  man  referred  to  the  telegram.     "  No,  sir,  there  is  no 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  231 

address,  but  they  had  not  left  Dover  when  this  was  sent, 
off."  He  handed  Michael  the  telegram. 

"  Thank  you." 

"  Do  you  wish  a  room,  sir  ?  " 

"  Not  now,  I  will  return  to  England.  Will  you  send  a 
telegram  for  me  ?  I  will  dine  here  and  wait  for  a  reply." 

"  Certainly,  sir." 

Michael  Ireton  wrote  out  the  wire  :  it  was  to  Miss  Mac- 
Naughtan  :  "  Mr.  Lekejian  ill,  not  left  Dover.  Have  you 
any  information  !  If  you  have  please  send  it,  also 
Dover  address." 

At  8. 30  he  got  his  reply. 

"  Leaving  Dover  for  Cairo.  Mr.  Lekejian  wishes  to  re- 
turn via  Marseilles." 

The  telegram  fell  out  of  Michael's  hand.  He  was  making 
a  pretence  of  eating  something  of  the  very  good  dinner 
which  the  hotel  provided  for  the  table  d'hote. 

A  great  pity  for  Hadassah  swept  over  him  ;  for  the  mo- 
ment it  wiped  out  all  personal  feeling.  If  he  could  only 
write  and  tell  her  how  sorry  he  was  for  her  !  for  undoubtedly 
Mr.  Lekejian  must  be  very  ill.  It  seemed  to  him  as  though 
his  gentle  Hadassah  was  only  to  pass  out  of  one  affliction  to 
go  into  another. 

The  details  of  her  cousin  Girgis's  death  had  been  in  his 
mind  very  vividly  during  the  long  journey  from  London. 
He  knew  that  the  boy  had  offered  up  his  life  for  Egypt 
because  he  was  not  strong  enough  to  live  without  Ha- 
dassah's  love  ;  what  it  meant  in  the  way  of  courage  and 
fight  to  live  without  Hadassah  he  knew  only  too  well. 

He  knew  that  this  fragile  girl  held  the  sweetness  and 
dearness  of  life  for  him  in  the  palm  of  her  little  hand  ;  he 
knew  that  if  she  sent  him  away,  as  Girgis  had  been  sent 
away  when  he  offered  himself  to  her,  the  world  would  be, 
not  unendurable,  as  it  had  been  to  Girgis,  for  with  forti- 
tiide  all  things  are  endurable,  but  it  would  be  scentless 
and  soulless  ...  a  mere  earth  with  no  flowers  for  its 
Eden. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 

THERE  were  sorrow  and  mourning  in  the  old  Mamluk  house 
in  Cairo  :  Nicolas  Lekejian  was  dead,  and  Hadassah  would 
not  be  comforted.  Unlike  the  Eastern  women  of  old,  who 
tore  their  hair  and  beat  their  breasts  and  yelled  upon  the 
house-tops  when  their  nearest  and  dearest  were  borne  with 
loud  manifestations  of  sorrow  to  their  place  among  the 
dead,  Stella  had  remained  tearless  and  unemotional  until 


232  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

long  days  of  pent-up  feeling  and  sleepless  nights  of  remorse 
had  ended  in  a  collapse  of  nerve  and  body. 

Without  doubt  Nicolas  Lekejian  had  died  from  the  shock 
his  system  had  received  when  Girgis  Boutros  was  arrested 
with  his  fellow-conspirators,  and  Stella  could  not  help 
holding  herself  in  a  measure  responsible  for  her  cousin's 
death.  If  she  had  taken  more  pains  to  discover  what  the 
work  was  he  meant  to  do  for  Egypt  she  could  have  pre- 
vented him  acting  as  he  did  ;  hence  she  felt  herself  to  be 
not  only  responsible  for  her  cousin's  death,  but  in  a  measure 
for  her  father's  also. 

It  was  absurd,  of  course,  but  natural  in  the  highly  strung 
state  of  her  nerves  and  sensibilities.  In  long  hours  of 
sleeplessness  she  exaggerated  every  unwise  step  she  had 
taken  and  foolish  thing  she  had  said.  Her  own  beauty 
and  her  quality  of  attraction  became  an  accursed  thing  in 
her  eyes. 

Her  father's  love,  the  love  that  had  been  torn  from  her 
just  when  she  needed  it  most,  was  the  only  love  her  mind 
could  tolerate  or  dwell  upon. 

If  Michael  Ireton  had  come  to  her  and  said,  "  I  love  you 
madly,  Hadassah,"  if  he  had  repeated  the  very  words  of 
her  heart's  song,  the  song  she  had  never  been  able  to  silence 
since  he  had  first  said  the  words,  she  would  have  turned 
from  him  with  shrinking  and  horror.  To  love  Michael  now 
would  seem  as  dishonourable  to  her  dead  father's  memory 
as  it  had  seemed  dishonourable  to  Vernon,  when  she  was 
his  promised  wife. 

And  Michael  Ireton  did  come  !  He  came  one  day  when 
Mrs.  Lekejian  was  sitting  by  her  daughter,  hoping  and  pray- 
ing that  for  a  little  time  the  girl  would  sleep,  that  for  a 
little  time  the  tragic  eyes  would  close  and  the  restless  limbs 
would  rest.  His  card  was  handed  to  her  while  Stella's  face 
was  turned  to  the  wall.  She  rose  quietly  and  left  the  room, 
bidding  the  servant  follow  her  ;  Stella  cared  too  little  about 
what  was  happening  to  even  ask  herself  why  her  mothei 
was  going  without  first  explaining  her  reason  for  leaving 
her  so  suddenly. 

"  Tell  him,"  she  said  to  the  servant,  "  that  I  cannot  see 
him  ;  explain  that  we  have  sorrow  in  the  house,  and  illness." 
Mrs.  Lekejian  spoke  quietly. 

"  I  did  tell  him  that  our  dear  master  is  dead,  sitt,  and 
he  was  very  sad  ;  I  told  him,  my  lady,  because  he  said  that 
he  had  been  looking  for  you  all  over  Europe — the  big  tall, 
man  is  very  much  in  love !  He  asked  to  see  Miss  Ha- 
dassah." 

Mrs.  Lekejian  smiled  at  the  man's  sympathy  for  the 


A  WIFE  OUT  OP  EGYPT  233 

impatient  lover.  In  Arabic,  this  fine  arrangement  of  his 
sentences  had  been  graced  with  the  flowers  of  his  elegant 
language. 

Mrs.  Lekejian's  Irish  heart  melted  :  she  would  go  and  see 
the  big,  tall  man  for  a  few  minutes. 

When  her  slight  figure,  in  widow's  weeds,  entered  the  room 
where  Michael  Ireton  was  nervously  waiting,  he  almost 
cried  out  with  surprise  .  .  .  never  before  had  he  thought 
her  the  least  like  Hadassah  !  Now,  with  the  tragedy  of 
her  recent  loss  deepening  the  beauty  of  her  violet  eyes,  he 
recognised  many  points  of  Stella  in  her  Irish  mother. 

He  strode  forward  and  held  out  hia  hand.  Something 
better  than  words  of  sympathy  was  in  the  grasp  he  gave 
her  and  in  the  expression  of  tenderness  which,  like  a  divine 
light,  transformed  his  rough  face. 

They  had  not  seen  each  other  since  the  night  when  Vernon 
had  saved  her  husband's  life,  and  the  sudden  recollection  of 
it  brought  a  lump  into  both  their  throats.  They  remained 
silent.  With  a  gentle  caress  Michael  Ireton  at  last  let  her 
hand  drop  ;  still  in  silence  they  stood  looking  at  each  other 
while  his  eyes  seemed  to  say,  "  We  will  not  speak  of  your 
sorrow,  you  need  not  be  afraid — the  sorrow  of  death  is 
sacred."  Feeling  this  she  grew  braver  and  said  gently, 
"  You  wanted  to  see  my  daughter  t  " 

"  Yes,"  he  said  ;  "  is  it  permitted  f  .  .  .  May  If... 
WTill  you  allow  me  ?  " 

He  looked  at  her  to  see  if  she  realised  his  deeper  meaning. 

"  Stella  is  ill,"  she  said — "  too  unnerved  to  see  any  one." 

"  111  !  "  he  said  in  alarm. 

"  A  nervous  breakdown  ;  she  will  be  all  right  again  with 
quiet  and  care." 

"  Your  daughter  and  I  were  friends,  Mrs.  Lekejian  .  .  . 
Do  you  really  think  it  would  do  her  harm  to  see  me  .  .  .  1  " 

"  I  know  you  were  great  friends,  but  she  is  really  too  ill, 
it  would  not  be  wise  at  present — the  doctor  would  forbid 
it." 

"  I  can  wait,"  he  said  doggedly,  "  I  can  go  on  waiting  .  .  . 
I  have  waited  .  .  .  but  don't  you  think  she  would  see  me 
if  she  knew  I  was  here,  if  she  knew  how  far  I  had  travelled 
in  the  hopes  of  seeing  her,  and  what  difficulty  I  have  had 
in  finding  you  ?  " 

Mrs.  Lekejian  smiled  :  the  man  was  not  to  be  easily  dis- 
missed. 

His  eyes  brightened.  "  If  it  is  only  nervous  collapse,  it 
might  do  her  good  to  see  an  old  friend.  Will  you  bee  her 
to  see  me,"  he  said,  "  if  only  for  five  minutes  t  Tell  her  I 
have  never  stopped  looking  for  her  since  the  night  I  saw 
her  at  the  Koyal  Geographical  Society's  lecture." 
Q 


234  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

Without  a  word  Mrs.  Lekejian  turned  and  left  the  room 
and  did  what  ho  asked.  When  she  saw  that  Stella  waa 
not  sleeping  she  said  quite  simply,  "  Stella,  Michael  Iretoa 
is  waiting  in  the  drawing-room  ;  he  has  begged  me  to  ask 
you  if  you  will  see  him,  if  only  for  five  minutes.  Will  you 
dear  ¥ — he  is  terribly  insistent !  " 

"  Michael  Ireton  !  "  The  cry  of  the  words  rang  through 
the  room  as  Stella  uttered  them  :  the  next  moment  she  had 
drawn  the  bed-clothes  over  her  face.  "  Oh,  mother,  don't 
let  him  come,  he  loves  me  ...  don't  let  me  hear  the  word 
Love  ever  again  :  it  waa  Love  that  killed  Girgis,  it  was 
the  Love  I  thought  I  had  for  Vernon — it  was  Love  that 
brought  about  all  this  unhappiness  ...  I  hate  the  very 
name  of  Love." 

"  Since  when  has  he  loved  you,  dearest  t  " 

There  was  no  answer,  but  a  nervous  sigh. 

"  He  seems  strong  and  big  and  true,  poor  fellow  !  Is  he 
to  be  sent  away  because  my  child  happens  to  be  cross  and 
peevish  t  " 

"  Oh,  mother,  I  want  only  you — I  want  to  be  left  alone. 
Love  has  gone  out  of  me  :  I  will  never  love  again." 

"  My  dearest,  you  needn't  see  him,  he  will  leave  you 
alone  ;  but  what  about  the  future  ?  When  you  are  well 
again,  won't  you  be  sorry  ?  Are  you  doing  wisely  ?  " 

"  When  I  am  well  again  I  want  to  work,  not  to  love." 

"  Will  he  prevent  it  t  " 

Stella  hesitated.  "  Perhaps  not  .  .  .  but  don't  you  see, 
mother,  Love  stopped  all  my  work  before,  it  might  stop  it 
again." 

"  Then  you  think  you  might  love  him  if  you  saw  him  t  " 

"  I  don't  know  .  .  .  I'm  afraid  of  myself  .  .  .  supposing 
I  never  can  love  :  I  thought  I  loved  Vernon  :  perhaps  it  ia 
only  that  I  love  being  made  love  to." 

"  You  were  too  young  to  know." 

There  waa  a  moment's  silence. 

"  What  must  I  tell  him,  dear  t  .  .  .  I  think  he  has 
suffered." 

"  Tell  him  I  am  sorry,  mother,  that  is  all." 

Mrs.  Lekeiian  put  her  hand  on  her  child's  forehead  and 
looked  into  her  eyes.  "  Dearest,  I  know  very  little  about 
this  man,  but  what  I  have  seen  of  him  I  like  and  admire, 
and  something  tells  me  that,  if  you  send  him  away  comfort- 
less, you  are  sending  away  your  happiness." 

"  Do  you  want  me  to  leave  you,  mother  t  " 

"  My  dear,  perverse  child,  of  course  I  don't."  Sh« 
smiled  tenderly  :  "I  will  tell  him  you  are  sorry  .  .  .  ia 
that  all  f  ...  he  haa  waited,  Stella,  he  says  he  will  go 
on  waiting  .  .  .  but  will  you  give  him  no  hope  !  He  has 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  235 

crossed  Europe  to  see  you — can  you  expect  Ms  feelings 
to  remain  the  same  if  you  think  only  of  your  own  and 
nothing  of  his  ?  " 

Mrs.  Lekejian  waited. 

"  Tell  him  I  am  going  to  work  for  Egypt  if  ever  I  am  well 
enough  to  do  anything  again  ...  he  approved  of  the 
idea  ...  tell  him  that,  mother  ;  tell  him  that  all  my  life 
I  am  going  to  work  ...  it  will  be  my  atonement." 

Mrs.  Lekejian  went  out  of  the  room  and  shut  the  door, 
but  she  did  not  go  down  stairs,  she  knew  her  daughter 
and  human  nature  too  well. 

When  the  door  was  closed,  Stella  burst  into  a  flood  of 
tears,  such  relieving  tears  that  much  sorrow  and  striving 
and  fear  seemed  to  pass  away  with  them.  .  .  .  She  called  to 
her  mother  to  come  back.  ..."  Mother,  mother,  how 
beastly  I've  been,  how  hateful !  Mother,  do  come  back. 
.  .  .  You  might  have  known  that  I  didn't  mean  it.  ... 
Oh  !  say  something  kind — he  is  so  kind." 

As  though  she  had  heard  the  cry  the  next  moment  Mrs. 
Lekejian  was  by  her  side. 
'  Mother  ! " 
'  You  called  me,  dear  t  " 

Stella  did  not  answer. 
'  What  kind  thing  shall  I  tell  him,  dear  t  " 
'  I  am  thinking." 

'  Take  your  time  ...  he  can  wait.  He'd  wait  for 
seven  years  like  Jacob,  I  think." 

"  He  has  been  so  kind,  mother,  and  I  wasn't  fair  to 
him,  not  fair  from  the  very  first  ...  I  was  selfish  and 
cruel." 

"  Yes,  dearest,"  Mrs.  Lekejian  said  again.  This  time 
the  old  humour,  that  was  hard  to  kill,  lurked  in  her  eyes  .  .  . 
she  was  perfectly  certain  Stella  cared  for  the  tall,  big 
man  downstairs. 

"  Ask  him,  mother,  if  he  will  go  away  and  let  me  work 
out  my  own  salvation  .  .  .  ask  him  to  go  away  for  a  whole 
year,  tell  him  not  to  write  to  me  or  to  think  of  me  unless 
he  can't  help  it,  and  at  the  end  of  the  year,  this  very  day 
year,  if  he  likes  he  can  write  to  me  and  ask  me  if  he  may 
come  and  see  me  .  .  .  only  don't  promise  anything, 
mother  ...  let  him  be  free  .  .  .  and  let  me  be  absolutely 
free  ...  I  must  be  free,  or  I  shall  hate  him." 

"  Poor  fellow  !  " 

"  If  I  saw  him  now,  mother,  I  shouldn't  even  say  that ; 
I  can  only  say  it  through  you." 

Stella  laid  herself  down  again  wearily.  "  I'm  so  tired, 
mother  ;  send  him  away." 

"  I  know  you  are,  dear — try  and  sleep.     I  will  go  and 


236  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

comfort  him  as  best  I  can.  I  know  you  are  not  in  a  fit 
state  to  be  troubled,  but  this  may  mean  your  happiness." 

Michael  Ireton  was  standing  with  his  back  to  the  door 
when  Mrs.  Lekejian  entered.  He  turned  swiftly  round. 
"  How  long  you  have  been  !  "  he  said.  "  Will  she  see 
met" 

"  She  is  really  not  well  enough  to  see  you  ...  I  am  so 
gorry,"  she  spoke  with  a  kindly  little  shake  of  the  head  .  .  . 
"  It  is  wiser  not  to  urge  it." 

"  Did  she  not  even  send  me  a  message  ?  If  you  only 
knew  how  much  it  means  to  me  !  " 

"  I  think  I  do  ...  and  she  is  not  unkind  ;  remember  her 
system  has  had  a  severe  shock.  You  must  make  allowances 
—she  is  very  highly  strung,  she  craves  for  rest  for  body 
and  soul." 

"  I  understand,"  he  said,  "  but  will  you  let  me  hope  t 
You  have  always  been  so  kind,  will  you  accept  me  if  ever 
Stella  does  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  will  accept  you  and  I  will  hope  for  you  because 
I  believe  that  my  daughter  cares  for  you,  and  that  her 
future  happiness  lies  in  your  hands, although  just  at  present 
all  suggestion  of  any  such  love  as  you  feel  for  her  is  odious 
to  her.  Do  you  understand  ?  .  .  .  I  wonder  if  any  man 
can  t  ...  it  is  not  you,  it  is  the  idea  of  love  itself  after 
.  .  ."  she  looked  at  him,  pleading  his  full  understanding 
of  her  words. 

"  I  know,"  he  said,  "  I  can  wait  ...  I  can  go  on  waiting 
...  I  have  waited  for  her  all  my  life." 

"Death  has  been  too  near  to  us,"  she  said  softly,  "for 
the  child  to  think  of  love  ...  it  hurts  her." 

"  I  can  wait,"  he  repeated. 

"  Stella  has  sent  you  a  message  !  " 

Michael  Ireton  looked  eagerly  at  the  sensitive  face,  again 
•o  reminiscent  of  Stella. 

"  She  asks  you  not  to  write  to  her  or  think  about  her  for 
a  year  " — she  smiled — "  that  is  to  say,  if  you  can  help  it : 
these  are  Stella's  own  words."  A  light  of  sympathy  shone 
in  her  eyes  for  the  man  whose  face  had  fallen  like  a  child's. 

"  At  the  end  of  the  year  .  .  .  this  very  day  year,"  she 
said,  "  if  you  still  care  you  may  write.  ...  No  !  no,  go 
slowly,  there  is  no  promise,  nothing  really  definite  .  .  . 
but  it  is  the  most  hopeful  plan,  even  if  it  seems  hard  ;  but 
remember  you  are  to  be  free,  absolutely  free." 

"  I'll  come,"  he  said,  drawing  out  hi  >  watch,  "  at  6.45  thia 
day  year." 

Mrs.  Lekejian  laughed.  "  You  certainly  deserve  to 
succeed — but  don't  feel  too  certain :  remember  Stella 
only  told  me  to  tell  you  that  you  may  write  to  her  a,t  th£ 


A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT  237 

end  of  the  year  if  ...  if  you  have  not  forgotten  her,  if 
you  still  feel  for  her  as  you  do  now  .  .  .  these  were  her 
very  words." 

He  sighed — it  was  the  sigh  of  a  man  who  had  been  strung 
to  the  limit  of  endurance.  "  I  must  be  thankful,"  he  said. 

Mrs.  Lekejian  put  her  hand  on  his.  "  She  is  more  than 
half  won  already,  I  think,  but  she  doesn't  know  it ;  or  if 
she  does  she  is  rebelling  against  it  for  the  time  being." 

"  I  understand  :  my  best  chance  is  to  go  away — I  will 
take  your  advice." 

"  Yes,  go  away  and  allow  her  to  miss  you  !  "  she  smiled, 
"  and  she  will  miss  you,  for  every  woman  needs  devotion, 
and  Stella  has  always  had  it." 

"  A  year  is  such  a  long  time,"  he  said  ;  "  supposing  some 
one  else  offers  her  that  devotion." 

"  Would  she  be  worth  the  winning  if  any  man's  love 
would  do  ?  " 

"  What's  worth  and  what  isn't  worth  doesn't  enter  into 
love  :  once  the  malady's  ripe,  it's  a  terrible  thing." 

•'  You  are  quite  right,  it  is  a  terrible  thing,  a  cruel  thing. 
But  I  must  return  to  Stella.  You  are  strong,  be  brave  ; 
you  are  not  like  poor  Girgis,  who  looked  so  strong  and  was 
so  weak." 

' '  I  mean  to  live  for  her  .  .  .  Girgis  died  for  her  .  .  . 
that  is  the  difference." 

He  raised  her  hand  to  his  lips.  "  Pray  God  you  may  be 
my  mother  some  day,"  he  said  earnestly.  "  Good-bye." 


CHAPTEE  XXXIV 

IT  was  the  hour  of  sunset  in  Cairo — that  magic  hour  in  the 
East  when  the  most  worldly  mind  is  moved  by  the  Infinite 
Being  of  God.  Stella  Lekejian  was  coming  out  of  the 
Coptic  schoolroom  where  she  had  been  teaching.  Her 
long  day's  work  was  done  ! 

Her  pupils,  all  closely  veiled  women  belonging  to  the 
lower-middle  classes,  were  hurrying  in  twos  and  three, 
to  their  various  homes.  Some  of  them,  though  wives  and 
mothers,  were  girls  just  emerging  from  childhood.  To 
the  casual  observer  these  closely  veiled  figures  looked  like 
ordinary  Cairene  Moslem  women— their  shapeless  black 
garments  differed  not  one  whit  from  all  the  others — but  on 
a  closer  examination  you  could  see  that  their  dark  eyes, 
whose  heavy  lids  were  blackened  with  kohl,  were  larger 
and  more  elongated,  and  that  they  inclined  slightly  up- 
wards from  the  nose.  Also,  if  you  looked,  you  could  find, 
among  the  tattoo  marks  which  decorated  their  wrists  and 


238  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

faces,  the  distinguishing  sign  of  their  sect — a  little  cross, 
the  emblem  of  Christ's  suffering. 

Their  attitude  towards  Stella  resembled  the  devotion  of 
English  Sunday-School  children  to  their  teachers.  Each 
day  they  brought  her  little  bunches  of  odorous  jasmine 
and  early  sprays  of  tuberose.  During  the  year  she  had 
worked  amongst  them  and  held  meetings  of  various  kinds, 
in  the  beautiful  little  school -house  which  her  mother  had 
built  and  endowed  as  a  memorial  to  her  father,  Stella  had 
endeared  herself  to  these  primitive  women. 

At  first  they  had  only  come  in  twos  and  threes,  and  had 
shrunk  from  any  form  of  intimacy,  but  gradually  their 
numbers  had  increased  until  the  largest  class-room  in  the 
building  was  not  big  enough  to  hold  them.  She  had  been 
wise  enough  to  leave  religious  instruction  and  discussions 
alone,  for  although  her  father  had  been  a  strict  Uniat- 
Copt  all  his  life,  she  herself  had  been  brought  up  in  the 
Church  of  England,  and  in  Cairo  the  English  Protestants 
are  almost  as  much  disliked  by  the  various  sects  of  the 
Copts  as  are  the  members  of  the  Greek  Church.  Between 
the  Copts  and  the  Greeks  there  is  an  undying  feud. 

During  the  year  her  busy  life  had  left  her  little  time  for 
reflection  ;  but  it  gave  her  the  satisfaction  of  feeling  that 
she  was  at  last  of  some  practical  good  in  the  world,  that 
her  reason  for  existence  was  justified — and,  oddly  enough, 
the  trivial  things  of  life,  the  things  she  had  once  envied, 
were  now  offered  to  her  ungrudgingly.  She  would  have 
found  a  warm  welcome  in  most  of  the  houses  of  the  resident 
English  in  Cairo  if  she  had  chosen  to  go  there,  for  sud- 
denly their  doors  had  been  opened  to  her  !  She  never 
even  questioned  the  reason  why  this  change  had  taken 
place  in  their  attitude  towards  her,  for  she  was  now  far 
more  than  formerly  in  close  touch  with  the  native  popula- 
tion. There  was  only  one  house  she  visited,  for  the  iron 
of  bitterness  had  entered  her  soul  too  deeply,  in  the  days 
of  her  impressionable  girlhood,  ever  to  allow  her  to  accept 
even  the  most  sincerely  offered  tokens  of  hospitality  and 
friendship.  It  was  only  in  the  house  of  a  celebrated  lady 
doctor,  whose  kindness  to  the  poor  had  won  Stella's  admira- 
tion and  devotion,  that  she  was  perfectly  happy.  It  was 
when  she  saw  the  husband  and  wife  working  together  in 
the  common  cause  of  humanity — for  they  were  both 
doctors — that  she  used  to  dream  dreams  of  what  happiness 
might  be  hers  when  her  year  of  probation  waa  over.  In  th« 
years  to  come  perhaps  Michael  and  she  would  work  to- 
gether and  play  together  and  find  Jife  sweet  together,  ai 
these  two  friends  did. 

On  this  particular  evening,  as  Stella  followed  the  little 


A  WIFE  OUT  OP  EGYPT  239 

company  of  Coptic  women  from  the  door  of  their  school- 
house,  whose  pleasant  courtyard  was  shaded  with  an 
ancient  sycamore  tree  and  one  tall  Victoria  palm,  her  mind 
was  disturbed  with  personal  emotions.  She  had  felt 
herself  incapable  of  putting  aside  her  own  interests  and 
throwing  herself  wholeheartedly  into  her  work  as  she 
usually  did.  She  had  received  a  letter  from  Michael 
Ireton  in  the  morning  and  it  had  been  fluttering  in  her 
bosom  like  the  wings  of  a  bird.  It  was  in  reality  lying 
securely  in  its  envelope  in  her  pocket,  yet  she  felt  it  in 
her  bosom  like  a  living  thing  trying  to  get  free — a  thing 
trying  to  gain  dominion  over  her  struggling  senses.  She 
had  not  heard  from  him  since  she  had  sent  him  away. 

She  had  tried  to  banish  him  from  her  mind  for  her 
work's  sake,  and,  as  a  test  of  the  enduring  quality  of  her 
love  for  him  during  the  period  she  had  fixed  for  their 
separation,  she  had  determined  to  work  with  one  sole  pur- 
pose in  view — the  regeneration  of  the  Egyptian  women. 
If  at  the  end  of  a  year's  time  Michael  still  cared  for  her 
and  she  still  cared  for  him,  surely  their  love  would  be 
enduring. 

Now,  in  this  supreme  hour  of  Egypt's  beauty,  when  the 
spell  of  its  light  was  transforming  the  world  into  a  kingdom 
of  heavenly  glory,  Stella  unreservedly  surrendered  herself 
to  the  joy  of  her  new  happiness.  It  seemed  to  her,  as  she 
watched  the  black-robed  figures  of  the  Coptic  women 
disappearing  into  the  golden  distance,  that  the  whole 
world  was  bathed  in  a  flame  of  Love  :  she  let  it  envelop  her 
until  she  was  lost  in  its  mystery.  Only  the  golden  silence 
and  the  limitless  space  of  wondrous  light  existed. 

CHAPTER  XXXV 

THE  next  morning  Stella  asked  her  mother  if  they  might 
have  their  morning  coffee  and  fruit  in  the  mandarah — the 
large  apartment  on  the  ground  floor  of  the  house,  where, 
in  days  gone  by,  only  male  visitors  were  received. 

They  were  sitting  on  a  low  seat  encircling  the  wide  win- 
dow which  looked  out  upon  the  courtyard,  in  the  portion  of 
the  room  called  the  durkaah.  Here  the  marble  floor  was 
sunk  about  six  or  seven  inches,  and  in  its  centre  was  a 
beautiful  fountain,  composed  of  three  shallow  basins  raised 
on  a  slender  shaft,  one  above  the  other. 

It  was  a  delightful  apartment  in  the  hot  weather,  for  the 
plash,  plash  of  the  falling  water  was  cooling  to  the  senses, 
and  the  entire  absence  of  any  kind  of  furniture,  kept  the 
atmosphere  pure  and  fresh.  Their  coffee  was  placed  on 


240  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

a,  white  marble  table  of  classic  shape,  such  as  one  sees  in 
the  best  houses  in  Pompei. 

The  morning  post  had  just  arrived,  but  the  appearance 
of  a  number  of  letters  had  not  interrupted  the  absorbing 
conversation  between  mother  and  daughter.  They  were 
discussing  the  momentous  question  of  Michael  Ireton's 
letter  and  of  his  arrival  in  Cairo  the  night  before. 

"  Yes,  he  has  waited  for  a  whole  year,  but  I  didn't  ask 
him  to,  mother — he  needn't  have  done  it !  He  was  per- 
fectly free  to  choose  any  other  girl.  Don't  look  like  that." 
Stella  held  out  her  hand  imploringly. 

"  I  didn't  mean  to  look  like  anything,  dear,"  her  mothei 
•aid  laughingly,  "  but  to  me  it  seems  so  strange,  so  un- 
necessary, when  you  might  have  been  together  :  there  are 
none  too  many  years  allotted  to  any  of  us  for  youth  and 
happiness — you'll  find  that,  my  darling — why  squander 
one  of  them  1  " 

"But  I've  not  squandered  it,  mother,  it  has  been  a 
precious  year — it  has  given  me  heaps  of  things,  and  a  kind 
of  happiness  I  never  knew  before.  I've  been  doing  work 
I  love,  work  Michael  knows  I  never  mean  to  give  up,  and  at 
the  same  time  I've  tested  the  endurance  of  my  feelings  for 
him  and  of  his  for  me."  She  sighed  contentedly.  "  You 
can't  think  how  much  each  day  of  this  year  has  added  to 
my  love  for  him,  and  from  his  letter,  I  don't  think  he  cares 
for  me  any  the  less." 

"  I'm  so  thankful,  dearest,  and  I  believe  he  is  almost 
worthy  of  you  ;  I  liked  the  little  I  saw  of  him,  and  your 
father  admired  him." 

"  Almost !  "  the  girl  spoke  scornfully — "  almost !  he's 
worth  a  hundred  of  me." 

"  To  me,  darling,  naturally  no  man  is  quite  good  enough 
for  you  .  .  .  but  certainly  you  could  never  be  happy  with 
a  man  who  had  not  exceptional  brains  and  a  strong  in- 
dividuality." 

"  I  understood  him  and  he  understood  me — at  least,  w« 
were  in  perfect  sympathy  with  each  other  from  the  very 
first  moment  we  met  .  .  .  and  as  the  days  went  by  in 
Luxor  his  companionship  showed  me  how  very  little  I  had 
in  common  with  Vernon  Thorpe." 

"  And  knowing  all  this,  Stella,  you  have  made  the  pool 
man  wait  for  a  whole  year  after  all  he  had  suffered  while 
you  were  engaged.  Poor  fellow." 

A  pause  in  the  conversation  folio  wed,  while  Mrs.  Lekejian 

took  up  her  letters  and  glanced  at  the  handwritings  on  the 

envelopes.     "  One  from  Nancy,"  she  said  brightly,  "  and 

.  .  how  strange  !  one  from  Nicolas  as  well."      She  started. 

"  Why  .  .  «  they  are  both  from  the  same  hotel."     She 


A  WIFE   OUT  OF  EGYPT  241 

pointed  to  the  name  of  the  hotel  stamped  on  the  envelopes. 
When  she  had  only  read  a  few  words  she  cried  out,  "  Stella, 
they're  married  !  Listen.  .  .  ." 

"  MY  DARLING  MOTHER  AND  STELLA, 

"  Nicolas  and  I  were  married  this  morning,  and  I'm  the 
happiest  girl  in  the  world.  I  will  tell  you  all  about  everything  and 
how  it  came  to  pass,  when  we  meet — it's  quite  a  romance.  We  are 
just  off  to  Italy,  where  we  are  going  to  '  moon  '  for  a  heavenly  fort- 
night. Then  we  sail  from  Naples,  and  will  be  with  you  in  about 
three  weeks.  Nicolas  says  we  are  all  to  go  up  the  Nile  by  Cook's 
first  pleasure  boat,  so  do  make  plans,  and  don't  disappoint  us. 
"  Your  loving  daughter, 

"  NANCY  LEKEJIAN. 

"  P.S. — This  is  the  first  time  I've  signed  myself  Lekejian  except  in 
church  in  the  register." 

Mrs.  Lekejian's  whole  being  was  expressive  of  an  almost 
girlish  delight.  Her  affection  for  Nancy  was  very  genuine, 
and  she  knew  how  deeply  her  son  had  felt  his  unselfish 
renunciation  of  the  girl's  love  for  him.  She  looked  to 
Stella  for  the  sympathy  she  knew  she  would  receive. 

"  I'm  so  glad,  so  tremendously  glad,"  Stella  said.  "  Dear 
little  Nancy,  how  happy  they  will  be  !  I  suppose  they  are 
eating  their  breakfast  together  as  husband  and  wife ! 
What  fun  !  Be  quick,  darling,  and  open  Nicolas's  letter. 
I  do  wonder  if  he  will  tell  us  how  it  happened,  I  so  want 
to  know  all  about  it." 

Mrs.  Lekejian's  voice  was  breathless  with  excitement 
as  she  read  aloud  her  son's  brief  announcement  of  his 
marriage. 

"  DARLING  MOTHER, 

"  Nancy  is  now  my  wife,  and  I  am  the  happiest  man  on 
G'»d's  earth.  I  can't  write,  but  we  shall  both  see  you  soon,  and  I 
fcnow  that  you  will  rejoice  at  my  happiness. 

"  Your  loving  son, 

"  NICOLAS." 

"  Now  that  he's  a  celebrity  I  suppose  he  considered 
himself  more  worthy  of  being  her  husband  .  .  .  dear  old 
Nicolas.  .  .  ."  Stella  spoke  tenderly,  then  suddenly  she 
gave  a  nervous  sigh.  "Mother,  I'm  afraid  to-day's  going 
to  be  too  good  to  be  true."  Do  you  think  anything  will 
happen  to  him  before  he  gets  here  1  "  she  said  anxiously. 
"  Nancy's  good  news  and  mine  seem  really  too  much." 

At  that  very  moment  a  servant  came  with  gliding  native 
movements  up  the  long  room  to  where  they  sat.  With  a  low 
Balaam  at  his  mistress's  knees,  he  said,  "  A  gentleman  has 


242  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

arrived,  sitt,  but  he  says  he  will  wait  if  he  is  too  early  ;  it 
is  the  '  tall  big '  gentleman,  sitt." 

Stella's  face  flushed  crimson.  "  Oh,  mother,  it'i 
Michael !  " 

She  looked  nervously  round  the  room  :  at  that  moment 
she  would  have  escaped  if  she  could.  The  joy  of  expecting 
him  had  been  too  suddenly  terminated  by  his  arrival — she 
would  gladly  have  postponed  it ;  but  Mrs.  Lekejian,  un- 
derstanding this  side  of  her  daughter's  complex  nature, 
rose  from  her  seat  very  quickly  and  left  the  room.  "  I 
will  send  him  to  you,  Stella,"  she  said  ;  "  don't  be  foolish 
— you  are  not  a  child — and  do  give  him  the  welcome  he 
deserves."  She  looked  at  the  moment  much  more  pleased 
than  her  shrinking  daughter.  But  her  voice  had  laughter 
lurking  in  it,  though  it  was  stern  enough  to  bring  Stella 
quickly  up  against  the  fact  that  her  future  happiness  did 
depend  upon  her  self-control  in  the  next  few  moments. 

When  her  mother  met  Michael  Ireton  she  said,  "  So  the 
year  has  passed  and  you  have  come  :  you  need  not  explain." 
He  grasped  her  hand  gratefully.  "  I  give  my  child  to  you 
willingly,  for  I  know  that  she  loves  you  and  you  will  make 
her  happy.  Yueuf  will  take  you  to  her  .  .  .  she  is  waiting 
for  you."  She  held  his  hand  in  hers  for  a  moment  longer  .  .  . 
"  You  will  be  wise,  Michael,  I  think,  to  take  the  bull  by  the 
horns  .  .  .  Stella  is  frightfully  nervous."  Her  merry  eyes 
expressed  clearly  all  that  she  could  not  tell  him.  As  she 
hurried  away  she  said,  "Go  to  her  quickly  ;  I  will  see  you 
later  on." 

When  Michael  Irecon  entered  the  room  he  did  not  hesitate 
to  take  Mrs.  Lekejian's  advice  :  in  two  strides  he  seemed 
to  cross  ita  great  length  and  reach  the  window  where 
Stella  was  standing,  nervously  waiting  for  him.  Without 
one  word  of  greeting  he  swiftly  enfolded  her  in  his  arms. 

"No,"  he  said,  "not  yet,  don't  try  to  struggle.  .  .  . 
You  are  mine,  mine  at  last  and  for  ever."  He  bent  hie 
head  to  her  shrinking  face  and  covered  it  with  kisses, 
kisses  which  made  the  girl  realise  how  utterly  useless  it 
was  to  protest.  Her  moment  of  surrender  had  come. 

Nor  did  she  wish  to  protest,  for  the  joy  of  experiencing 
the  strength  of  his  manhood,  of  at  last  feeling  the  comfort 
of  his  strong  embrace,  was  exquisite  to  her  senses. 

With  his  lips  on  her  lips  she  felt  aa  though  she  was  float- 
ing through  a  world  of  space,  to  some  unknown  shore,  in  the 
strong  arms  of  love. 

And  when  he  held  her  passionately  from  him,  at  arm's 
length,  to  look  at  her  with  ardent  eyes,  she  said  ;  "  Dearest, 
can  yon  forgive  me  1  " 


A  WIFE  OUT  OP  EGYPT  243 

"  Tell  me  you  love  me,  and  I  will  forgive  you  everything, 
all  the  waiting  and  the  hunger  of  years." 

"  I  love  you,"  she  said  simply,  "  more  than  anything  in 
all  the  world  ;  I  have  always  loved  you." 

"  Then,  darling,  why  did  you  send  me  away  !  why  did 
you  waste  one  year  of  our  life  ?  " 

She  was  crushed  to  him  tenderly  again  :  his  hunger  for 
the  nearness  of  her  beauty,  for  the  fragrance  of  her  being, 
was  demanding  its  justification.  "  How  could  you  have 
done  it  ?  How  could  you  1  " 

"  I  did  it,"  she  said,  "  because  I  wanted  to  know  if  my 
love  was  worthy  of  you.  I  was  afraid  :  it  was  for  your 
sake,  for  the  sake  of  our  love  !  " 

He  drew  her  back  to  him,  "  you  worthy  of  me  ! — how 
could  you  doubt  it  1  ...  Oh,  my  darling." 

"  I  had  to  do  it,  the  Fates  made  me  ;  I  can't  explain  just 
why,  but  they  did.  It's  all  over  now,"  she  gave  a  tired 
sigh,  a  sigh  of  perfect  content,  a  sigh  of  absolute  thankfulness 
for  his  presence  and  for  the  acknowledgment  of  their  love. 

"  The  waiting  was  worth  it,"  he  said  eagerly,  "if  it  has 
done  what  you  wished  :  I  would  have  waited  a  thousand 
years." 

"  It  has  done  far  more  !  Things  could  never  have  been 
BO  wonderful  if  I  hadn't  learned  to  know  how  much  I 
wanted  you,  how  much  I  missed  you,  how  afraid  I  grew 
that  you  might  love  some  one  else." 

"  Then  thank  God  I  waited,"  Michael  Ireton  said  briefly 
"  but  you  are  not  going  to  send  me  away  again,  Hadassah, 
with  any  more  indefinite  promises.  I  am  going  to  make 
you  my  wife  whether  you  will  or  won't !  " 

"But  I  will,  dearest — I  am  ready."  With  an  exquisite 
shyness  she  kissed  him  for  the  first  time  without  his  de- 
manding it.  "  I  will  whenever  you  like  ;  I  know  now  that 
I'm  not  afraid." 

"  Thank  God  !  "  he  said,  "  but  I  can  hardly  believe  it's 
true,  things  have  been  so  hard  ...  so  hard  and  cruel, 
and  now  everything  seems  too  good  to  be  true." 

"  I  think  we  certainly  must  do  something  to  appease  the 
jealousy  of  the  gods,"  she  held  up  her  silver  hand  of  Fatma  ; 
"  yet  we  have  surely  suffered  enough,  and  I  have  worn  this 
so  constantly  Fatma  ought  to  reward  us  by  averting  their 
envious  eyes." 

"And  this,"  Michael  said,  raising  the  rough  heart  of 
green  stone.  His  eyes  reminded  her  of  the  day  he  found 
it  in  the  temple  of  Luxor.  A  warm  blush  dyed  her  face  ae 
his  eyes  insisted  upon  her  answer. 

"  I  hope  it  will  do  its  work,  dearest,  for  women  when 
they  love  are  the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  for  ever." 


244  A  WIFE  OUT  OF  EGYPT 

He  pressed  his  lips  to  her  hand  which  htld  the  ancient 
amulet — an  ecstasy  of  passion  shone  in  his  eyes  as  his  mind 
travelled  out  to  meet  hers  in  the  days  that  were  to  come. 

"  It  ia  so  glorious,  Michael,  to  know  that  we  may  love 
aach  other,  to  know  that  you  may  do  as  you  once  said  you 
could  do  if  you  might,  and  now  you  may  !  " 

"  What  was  that  !     What  did  I  say  t  " 

"  You  once  said,  '  I  could  love  you  madly,  Hadassah,  if 
I  might.'  I  have  never  forgotten  it  ...  often  and  often 
I  have  driven  the  words  from  my  ears,  often  and  often  I 
have  wanted  to  feel  that  '  mad  love '  ...  it  was  horrible 
to  know  that  I  had  to  stamp  on  it  and  crush  it  and  kill  it, 
that  your  dear  affection  was  all  wrong." 

"  And  yet,  when  I  found  you  and  you  were  free,  you  sent 
me  away.  ...  I  thought  you  didn't  care  for  me."  Again 
he  said,  "  How  could  you  T  " 

"  I  was  ill,  I  was  sick  of  the  very  name  of  love — love 
had  brought  such  misery,  Michael :  poor  Girgis  loved  me  ; 
if  I  had  never  thought  that  I  loved  Vernon,  how  much 
sorrow  and  remorse  would  have  been  saved  !  " 

"  I  know,  dearest.  I  was  a  selfish  brute  to  come  at  that 
time — I  should  have  waited  ;  but  that  night  when  Vernon 
saved  your  father's  life  I  thought  you  cared  ...  it  gave 
me  the  courage  ;  I  thought  you  cared  when  you  asked  me 
to  stay." 

"  And  so  I  did,"  she  said,  "  I  cared  from  the  very  first 
time  I  saw  you,  I  have  always  cared  ;  I  think  I  must  have 
cared  for  you  in  my  former  incarnation." 

It  was  after  midday  when  Mrs.  Lekejian  returned  to 
the  mandarah.  She  entered  it  a  little  nervously,  for  it  is 
always  an  unpleasant  duty  to  disturb  lovers,  but  Michael 
Ireton  put  her  instantly  at  her  ease  by  saying  :  "  Hadassah 
has  promised  to  marry  me  as  soon  as  it  can  be  managed  : 
will  you  accept  me  as  your  son  t  "  He  stooped  down  and 
kissed  her,  thinking  to  himself  as  he  did  so  how  delightful 
a  thing  it  would  be  to  have  this  gentle  personality,  this 
woman  whose  blue  eyes  could  never  wholly  banish  their 
smiles,  for  his  mother-in-law. 

She  turned  swiftly  to  Stella,  while  she  held  out  her  two 
hands  to  Michael :  I'm  so  glad  !  I  knew  she  loved  you  " 
— her  eyes  warmed  to  the  man  who  seemed  to  tower  above 
her  like  a  giant — "  but  I  knew  you  would  have  to  capture 
her  by  strategy  if  you  wished  to  marry  her.  .  .  ."  Her 
voice  trembled.  "  You  will  be  good  to  rny  baby  ...  I 
heard  that  my  son  was  married  yesterday  ...  I  shall  be 
all  alone  now." 

He  held  her  slender  hands  in  his  two  big  ones  more 


A  WIFE  OUT  OP  EGYPT  245 

tightly.  "  Indeed,  you  won't  be  alorie ;  there's  surely 
plenty  of  room  for  us  all  here  .  .  ."  he  looked  round  the 
splendid  hall.  "  For  at  least  six  months  in  each  year 
I've  promised  to  help  Hadassah  with  her  work — not  to 
hinder  it,  you  know — and  for  the  rest  of  the  year  we're  going 
to  live  wherever  our  fancy  pleases  us  ...  wherever  you 
and  Hadassah  think  best." 

Tears  sprang  into  Mrs.  Lekejian's  eyes.  "Then  you 
won't  take  her  away  from  me  ?  How  kind  !  I  should  bo 
quite  alone  !  " 

Stella  flung  her  arms  round  her  mother's  neck  :  "  Michael 
is  really  the  nicest  thing  that  ever  happened,"  she  said, 
"  the  nicest  thing  in  the  whole  world  :  he  couldn't  do  a 
nasty  or  cruel  thing  if  he  tried  :  he  would  never  take  me 
away  from  you.  He's  going  to  have  a  mother  now  to  spoil 
him,  as  well  as  a  wife."  She  turned  her  love-bright  eyes  to 
her  lover  :  "  Mother's  a  darling,  Michael ;  she'll  not  be  a  bit 
an  '  in-law,'  for  she's  really  much  younger  than  I  am."  She 
paused.  "  I  grew  up  the  first  time  I  ever  saw  you  ;  mother 
has  never  really  grown  up  yet  .  .  ."  Stella  scanned  her 
mother  tenderly  from  head  to  foot,  and  then  looked  at  her 
lover — "  but  she'll  just  have  to  look  a  little  older  now,  if 
she's  going  to  have  you  for  an  '  in-law  '  .  .  .  you're  such  a 
big  thing,  dear,  I  think  you  ought  to  be  able  to  take  care  of 
us  both." 

By  way  of  answering  her  he  put  a  protecting  arm  round 
each  of  the  women  and  drew  them  to  him.  "  I'll  do  my 
best,"  he  said  simply  ;  "  God  knows  how  I  mean  to  try." 

"  If  only  father  had  known,"  Stella  said,  "  there  would 
have  been  nothing  left  to  wish  for." 

"  But  he  does  know,  dear,  I  never  doubt  that  ...  I 
couldn't  live  and  doubt  it." 

As  Mrs.  Lekejian  said  the  words  Michael  Ireton  under- 
stood the  reason  how,  in  spite  of  all  her  suffering,  she  had 
kept  her  child's  heart,  and  why  her  husband  had  so  adored 
her.  One  moment  before  he  had  thought  his  human  happi- 
ness could  not  be  added  to,  but  the  expression  in  her  eyea 
had  suddenly  shown  him  fresh  reasons  for  gratitude  ;  a 
new  chord  had  awakened  in  his  manhood — the  tenderness 
of  a  son  for  his  mother.  "  Little  mother,"  he  said,  "  I  will 
do  my  utmost  to  make  his  child  happy  and  to  be  a  good 
son  to  his  wife." 


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